Train Magic

We huddled together. The wood platform was wet with melted snow,
I felt like ducks maybe. Brown line was delayed, but it wasn't so cold,
and comedy classmates keep each other.
An old member of our cohort walked up the steps.
"Hi!" We said. I missed this guy. He didn't make it through
our group auditions. He should have,
in my opinion. He has a lot to say, and he's nice to be around.
He works on the northside in a facility for people with
schizophrenia.

I could tell he liked seeing us, but
he met the people who replaced him.
And that must just be weird.
It wasn't their fault or anything,
but still. He smiled and chatted. The train
finally came. We slugged in. I sat down in two-seat corner.
He said defiantly he was sitting down.
"Forget it, pregnant women!" He joked.
I asked if having a Masters in social work meant
he was a counselor. It did. "Can you fix my problems?"
I asked. I pulled out a dollar, which he refused to take.
We talked for a minute, and he said with big, real, brown eyes
very useful truths that were basic but important.
And then it was my stop, so I said sincerely I hoped
we might see each other again.