A Jeep crawls through an intersection
at rush hour
I crane my neck and spot a woman in sweats
jaywalking
plastic bags
dangling from her wrist,
a badly beaten old purse hanging on
her shoulder
I sigh, listening to the news
at the top of the hour
irritable,
snippets of a workshop on workplace communication
fresh in my ears
a wasted hour on empathy and
collaborative problem solving
the importance of acknowledging both sides of any conflict
The woman reaches up to
fasten some loose hair into a ratty bun and glares
at the driver inside the Jeep, who’s gesturing wildly now
as if to say
What are you doing?
and
Who do you think you are?
I feel two things: his outrage
her indignance
as the CBC reports on Ukrainians at borders
seeking refuge
children without drinking water or
safe places to sleep, and
the slow rolling sixth wave
a tsunami threatening to take us all
I feel so tired and
powerless
watching
the woman finally
makes it across, stepping
onto the curb as the driver angrily revs the engine and the Jeep
tears through the intersection
but
as the woman frees a hand
from her hair and her bags,
lifts
her middle finger
a farewell
to the incensed driver,
I am flooded with something unexpected
equal parts disbelief and awe
witnessing
something like courage
a small triumph in a sea of
indifference