! ! Journey In An Undergound Kaleidoscope Poem by Michael Shepherd

The Underground is a kaleidoscope:
at each station, a new shake; and

according to your mood
every shake’s a magnification

of your love of humanity; or
confirms your worst fears;

shake

I’m sitting with the article
I wrote at home, hunched
over the keyboard
in a smaller world

now I’m revising it in private
but in this public space
of this kaleidoscope; it’s good this way.

shake

A lad sits down next to me. After a minute
I feel he’s discreetly reading what I’m editing.

I love this game. I tilt the paper imperceptibly
so he can read it better..
careful not to give the game away..

shake

He’s interested; he’s not reading idly; now
he’s not hiding his reading any more;

now, he can’t restrain himself at
the top of the page as I turn over..

his eyes shine. He stubs his finger at a quote
‘Meditation makes me feel more myself…’

‘That’s it! That’s it! ’ he says; as if
I didn’t believe my own quote..

shake

He’s out the next station; that’s
all he needed. All I needed. All it needed.

How bright the underground kaleidoscope
shines now.