I would not have noticed her had the subway car not cleared
of people at Lexington Avenue.
She removed a tattered stocking cap and stuffed it
into a grimy army jacket.
She held a smudged white bag between her legs.
She reached into it and pulled out half a doughnut.
That was when I noticed her shoes.
The uppers had split from the soles; she wrapped
her feet in newspaper and rags.
I thought, Mother, you need shoes.
I wondered if forty dollars would do.
I looked up and watched her untangle a lock of
matted grey hair.
She reached into her bag and found a bobby pin.
She styled the lock of hair into a bun
I had forty dollars.
It was for vitamins; specifically, anti-oxidants.
My body was rusting faster than a wet Ford.
The crows feet around my eyes whispered: erase us; your
happiness demands our absence.
I examined the old woman’s cracked and broken shoes;
they were useless for January in New York.
She closed her eyes, as if ready to savor a long warm ride.
Maybe she lives in the subway, I thought, like those people
in the documentary, Dark Days.
If she never leaves the subway she doesn’t need new shoes!
My crow’s-feet said, ’Yes!’
But that can’t be right, I thought; an old woman, alone, with
nothing but a stale doughnut for dinner.
I saw myself stand, and watched as I took two twenties out
of my wallet.
Then I knelt and said, “Mother, you need shoes.”
She opened her eyes and smiled at me and
nodded in agreement.
“Will forty dollars do?”
“Yes,” she said, “God bless you.”
I gave her the money and returned to my seat, and
listened as my crow’s-feet maliciously threatened
to deepen and spread.
Rob Goldstein (c) 2014-2018 All Rights Reserved
First published 5/29/16
Revised 4/7/18
Loved it ❤️ superlike
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Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment!
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😊
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Oh my word! What a brilliant piece. I felt, saw and smelt this. Beautiful!
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Thank you. You’ve made my day!
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Such a moving story Rob, glad I caught it. 🙂 I enjoy your writing. 🙂
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Thank you for reading it. From the days when I carried a journal.
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I couldn’t be without a journal. In fact, I always have 3 or 4 around me at home lol 🙂
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I do too. There’s always a notebook and pen nearby.
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Oh Rob, this was so beautiful. I swear it made me teary eyed. The bit with the crows-feet sassing the narrator made my mind bounce in another direction — which is great. Some jarring added to the story by preventing it seeming sentimental. (I don’t care for sugary tearjerkers.) Well done, my friend! And I love that image. Maybe we can re-purpose it for Lulu? Or am I just being greedy? 😀
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The elderly woman is part of a street mural. I merged it with a VR photo of a subway tunnel. I can drag the mural into VR and turn it into a portrait of Lauren. We can hang it in the ghost station. 🙂
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Oh, a portrait. Love the idea. 🙂
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Humm…I thinkin’ a new location.
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Touching and amazing!
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Thank you so much for visiting and leaving a comment. I’m glad you like it.
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Thank you for the reblog!
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How beautiful, a story of love and compassion.
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Thank you, Paula.
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Phenomenal writing, Rob. As always. 🙂
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Thank you, Danica. A piece is never really finished. I appreciate your comment.
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You wrinkles are made beautiful by your kindness. Thank you for helping that woman. I hope a kind person will be there for me when I am needy. Even more, I hope I reach out to others.
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Thanks Linda! Any thought that anti-oxidants were going to erase those lines was pure magical thinking. I’ve grown to like my wrinkles. 🙂
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Your wrinkles need to learn compassion too, then all will be well with
your face 🙂
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LOL! My wrinkles got over themselves. 🙂
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Reblogged this on Shallow Thinking.
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Beautiful. Compassionate. Thank you, Robert.
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Thank you, Kitt. 🙂
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This poem most exemplifies the poem I wish I had written. It is incredible. Truth. Truth. Truth.
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I have to say that given the exquisite craftsmanship that you bring to your work this is quite a compliment. I’m glad that you saw the poetry in this.
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I really enjoyed it very much, that’s because it is startling in its account of going without and suffering
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I have never been able to ‘normalize’ the sight of our elderly living in destitution. I have never been able to convince myself that they deserve it. I have never seen this cruelty as anything other than the foul expression of a selfish people who have lost their way.
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I read a very sad article recently saying because Japan has such an ageing population the old view of respect and honor toward the elders is dying out in favor of abandonment and neglect. I read also the same of China though more to do with population movement into cities, leaving the elderly alone with nobody. I do believe many people will succumb to believing the old should die to ‘help’ the young thrive. Like you I truly believe the elderly should be respected and admired for the rich lives they led and not infantalized or tossed aside, maybe that is why this spoke to me so much among other reasons
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It was inevitable that he barbarism that consumes the U.S. would go global.
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True. There are some really good influences from America and other world powers but generally when you are a world power you gobble those who are not
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We’re no longer a World power. We are armed and dangerous but our military and our economic system was never the real source of our power.
The real source of our power was the moral credibility that we had as a nation that championed human rights.
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And yet we think we are, which is scary. We may be like a former bully who takes on someone bigger and … well we know what happens there. You’re so right. Our humanitarianism is what can save us if we allow it to
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I think that empathy is an evolutionary advantage to a species that lives in an advanced civilization.
Greed is no longer of use to our survival. In fact, greed is killing us.
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I would agree except I think ‘advanced civilization’ is not as most would deem it to be, (technology/usual modes of progress) and moreover, a spiritual and emotional evolution. I long for the Vulcan days ahead where greed is banished from the human psyche
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We probably have thousands of years to go…
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I absolutely loved this one. The mental debate is tough. I have been there and more often than not opted to be self serving. Thank you.
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Thank you for the comment. I think that under slightly different circumstances I might have responded another way.
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I love the painting it’s like beauty hidden within itself I love it
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Thank you…It’s a photo merge of a section of wall mural in the mission with a photo of a VR subway tunnel. I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
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I really did 🙂
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Heartfelt I enjoyed 🙂
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Well done!
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Thank you, Karen. 🙂
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Your crowsfeet will still be there to erase when you decide to take care of them…her feet may not have been.
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I like to think that I didn’t have a public debate with my wrinkles…:)
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🙂
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So heartfelt… The last line is genius and I too am smiling now 🙂
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Thank you, Christy! 🙂
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Reblogged this on SURVIVORS BLOG HERE.
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This painting is stunning, Robert.
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I’m pleased with it. I’ve combined shots of a virtual subway with a shot of a graffiti drawing that I took with a blackberry. I’m glad you like it.
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Hi Robert, really touching and written in such away that it makes you want to know what did you do – you did a kind act for another – so good … sincerely Karen
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Thank you. I think that we end to think that good deeds are completely good and selfish deeds are completely selfish, when in reality everything is always a mix of both. Thank you for reading the post.
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I agree with your statement Robert … warm regards Karen
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The juxtaposition of the old lady in need of shoes and the person (perhaps you?) feeling their age; both need something, but one is a real need, the other is a want disguised as a need (to feel and look younger) – impressive, I such a strong visual from your words, had to share.
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I’m glad that you left a comment. I always like what you say.
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Very beautiful kindness 😀
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Thank you. I’m glad you like it. I was just commenting on your recent post…:)
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I could see it, feel it, smell it . . .
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Thank you…
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Wow You’ve rendered me speechless… In a wonderful way!
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Thank you. I’m glad you like it…)
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