Our New York  trip ended much too soon.
A visit with our sons, now on their own. 
strolls in Central Park, art museums.

Quick hugs goodbye at Grand Central Station,
Tickets in hand, headed for our gate, frenzied
goldfish in a shark tank, no time for tears. 

Memories would wait until we reached our gate, 
the crunch of the crowd moving us along like the sea 
at high tide. No time to stop. No time to think

about the loose ties on my shoe, or the bag
slipping off my shoulder, or my full bladder, or 
even if we were going the right way. We had to trust 

the crowd. And when the sharks changed direction,
we had to trust that, too. They had heard something
we had not, perhaps the stir of some other place to feed.

Our gate had been switched. That announcement
drowned by babies crying, footsteps clicking
on pink marble floors, wheels on rolling carts

squeaking by us, all like an orchestra out of tune,
a choral cacophony of travelers weaving their way
through the throngs. We reached my own nemesis:

The escalator. My husband slipped his hand into my 
sweaty palm. He knew my fear, poor sense of balance.
“Single file!” ordered the guard.. “She can’t," Jon said.

We were fished out of the frenzy, by another guard, his
shiny shoes clicking quickly on the floor onto the elevator
and down into the bowels of the station, no other human in sight.

His clicks led us through ghostly darkness. Metal stank
like burnt toast. Train whistles overhead pierced the eerie silence,
His walkie talkie crackled: Where’s the couple? echoed a voice. 

They’re with me, sir! My stomach sank, my voice trembled. 
Is the train leaving without us? The guard never looked back. 
Not without you! his clicks quickening. I was running out of breath.

Finally, I blinded by the sun’s rays slicing through the darkness,
There was the conductor's hand reaching for mine. Welcome aboard. 
We had stopped a train. I turned around to thank our guide, 

our guide, but he'd slipped into the shadows. We sank in our seats –
thankful, hungry, tired, and lulled by the sweet soundtrack
of a train whistle bound for home.