As the man pondered his next move, a force of tranquility overcame him. It was like the sultry voice of thought had entered his roller coaster of thoughts and made itself comfortable in the front row. His nervousness subsided, and as he took a deep breath, he knew that this awkward moment between the two wouldn't be alleviated by merely standing stationary. He turned and casually approached the girl, and scrambled the first thought that came into his mind of what to say.
"That looks like a lot of luggage for you to be carrying around", he said as he came to a stop on the platform; a slight smile taking his lip.
"Yeah, but I think I'm managing pretty well so far" she reciprocated. "I just hope this train gets here in time" she continued.
He chuckled slightly. "That makes two of us"
"Yeah, I suppose it does. Where are you headed?" She asked.
"San Francisco" She replied, "What brings you to Union Station
"Chicago; nothing special."
"What do you mean nothing special? Chicago's the second best city in the world; right behind the big apple, of course. Come on, indulge me, why the Windy City?"
The man knew why he had been going to Chicago. His family was there, and the real story behind why he had to make the journey was something that he felt might put a damper on her already seemingly distressed day. On this, he knew that he had to keep it short and sweet.
"I'm just seeing the family, and doing a little sight seeing. I haven't been there in a few years." He replied to her.
"Sounds like they'll be looking forward to seeing you, being that it's been a while", she said.
He let out a small passive chuckle as he responded.
"Yeah, I'm sure they'll be thrilled" he said; a slight glaze overcoming his eyes. "Care to tell me why you have so much luggage? Seems like your trip is more than just a vacation."
"Yeah, I'm going out there for a while. I have a friend that I'm staying with", she replied in a slightly solemn tone
"Mind if I ask why?"
"I just needed a get away, and I figured, what better place than on the completely opposite end of the country?" she explained. "Haven't you ever just wanted to get away, from everything?"
He looked down to avoid giving her a tell that would open the gates to the river of thoughts flowing through his mind upon hearing that question. He refocused the conversation on her.
"The greatest city in the world doesn't seem so great to you from what I'm hearing."
She focused her eyes directly on his, as her seemingly distressed complexion was fighting back a smile that was pushing its way to the front, eventually enveloping her lips for a few short seconds, followed by a light sigh of humor.
"It has its ups, but it also has its downs."
Before she could continue, the unmistakable rumble of an approaching train shook the platform beneath their feet. A train horn played three short bursts, and the familiar sound of the ringing bells filled the tunnel as the passenger train made its way into the station with the screeches and groans of the breaks bringing the train to a slow stop. The doors opened, and just like that, the rapid flow of the city above broke the silence of the platform, now filled with a plethora of passengers, most rushing to their next train, and trying to gather their baggage. It looked like an organized chaos, and as he looked back at her, he could see her boarding the train.
"What cabin are you going to?" He asked hastily.
"I'm going to second class" she replied. "Come by later if you'd like. Train rides are pretty boring."
"I might take you up on that -- what's your name?"
"Sarah; what's yours?"
"Brennan."
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
Tuesday, July 1, 2014
The Train Station - Part 1
It was a day like any other in the heart of New York City's Grand Central Station. The halls were filled with the echoes of conversation, and the occasional sound of a train making its way through to pick up the next round of riders to take them on their way. The faint smell of copper and marble filled the air with a trademark scent that brought back the illustrious history of this great land mark with each breath.
On the platform, a young dapper gentleman talked on his phone while he waited for his train to arrive. As he paced about, discussing business and other things, he looked to the end of the platform impatiently to check for the familiar site of headlights approaching. After no such success, he panned his vision over to the scheduling board. 15 minutes late. As he began to think about whether or not it should be a crime for a train to be this late, he turned and faced the turnstiles which seemed to have an ever-lasting flow of passengers entering and exiting in a hurried pace. It was at this point that something wonderful happened.
As he pondered his limited options, a woman caught his eye as she made her way down the stairs. She was a beautiful creature, with a long, brunette flow, beautiful creamy skin, and a captivating smile that was accompanied by entrancing brown eyes. To him, she was perfect, and suddenly, the delay became irrelevant to the man as he looked as if she was an angel making her way down from heaven.
She had three very full bags, and as she approached the platform, he immediately adored her as he watched her throw everything down with what he thought was the most beautiful face of frustration he had ever seen. As he saw her look up after checking her phone, he broke his gaze so she wouldn't notice him looking. She hadn't noticed him staring until she took a glance down the tunnel, much like he did, with no success. In a way he thought he was being clever, he turned himself and waited for her gaze to return to her phone; only he had under-estimated the time that this would take, as when he looked her way once again, she was staring right back at him.
Just then, a feeling with the force of a thousand hammers landed on his chest, and he could feel his heart skip a beat. They quickly broke their gaze, and soon after a powerful silence took him over, accompanied by a million thoughts that he was not sure how to handle. The moment seemed original, but awkward simultaneously. As he stared at the home screen of his phone, he pondered his next move.
On the platform, a young dapper gentleman talked on his phone while he waited for his train to arrive. As he paced about, discussing business and other things, he looked to the end of the platform impatiently to check for the familiar site of headlights approaching. After no such success, he panned his vision over to the scheduling board. 15 minutes late. As he began to think about whether or not it should be a crime for a train to be this late, he turned and faced the turnstiles which seemed to have an ever-lasting flow of passengers entering and exiting in a hurried pace. It was at this point that something wonderful happened.
As he pondered his limited options, a woman caught his eye as she made her way down the stairs. She was a beautiful creature, with a long, brunette flow, beautiful creamy skin, and a captivating smile that was accompanied by entrancing brown eyes. To him, she was perfect, and suddenly, the delay became irrelevant to the man as he looked as if she was an angel making her way down from heaven.
She had three very full bags, and as she approached the platform, he immediately adored her as he watched her throw everything down with what he thought was the most beautiful face of frustration he had ever seen. As he saw her look up after checking her phone, he broke his gaze so she wouldn't notice him looking. She hadn't noticed him staring until she took a glance down the tunnel, much like he did, with no success. In a way he thought he was being clever, he turned himself and waited for her gaze to return to her phone; only he had under-estimated the time that this would take, as when he looked her way once again, she was staring right back at him.
Just then, a feeling with the force of a thousand hammers landed on his chest, and he could feel his heart skip a beat. They quickly broke their gaze, and soon after a powerful silence took him over, accompanied by a million thoughts that he was not sure how to handle. The moment seemed original, but awkward simultaneously. As he stared at the home screen of his phone, he pondered his next move.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Daily Free Verse # 3
A new morning
A breath of fresh air
The cool breeze
Over a troubled brow
Worries dissipate
Accessorize your breakfast
Carry on
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Daily Free Verse # 2: Convertible
I wish I had a convertible
Maybe life would be easier
with more options
Top up
Top down
This fabric contraption
Like a window to the world
Millions of miles of headroom
At the push of a button
At a busy intersection
On a California Saturday
Friday, June 6, 2014
The Man who Couldn't See Himself in the Mirror
It was a Sunday in the middle of a humid Summer. Jackson hadn't been able to sleep the past few days, and he was beginning to show the effects of a constantly ever active mind. He slowly rose from his bed, a ceiling fan circulating air above, and began his morning with a look in the bathroom mirror. As his reflection looked back at him, he stood and began to wonder about many things he was going through.
For the past 5 months, life hadn't been an easy road for Jackson. His former love left him with a broken heart on new years. After a while, he worked up the courage to go on the road to finding himself, and as the months progressed, so did his understanding of everything around, and within. It was a late night like any other when he found out that the girl he had been so in love with was with another man.
It was at that instant whilst he looked into this mirror, that he realized that his world was no longer the same. That all his work and dedication had put him only into a state of disbelief; a lack of words only gave way to one question: "What now?"
He had attended college for the past 5 years, and was preparing to go into the world to pursue his dreams. He had passion unlike anyone else, and he had a mind that was always swimming with and endless flow of ideas. As he contemplated the positives, he remembered something that a relative of his told him as he was growing up:
"A heavy heart bears the weight of one of life's greatest lessons"
For the past 5 months, life hadn't been an easy road for Jackson. His former love left him with a broken heart on new years. After a while, he worked up the courage to go on the road to finding himself, and as the months progressed, so did his understanding of everything around, and within. It was a late night like any other when he found out that the girl he had been so in love with was with another man.
It was at that instant whilst he looked into this mirror, that he realized that his world was no longer the same. That all his work and dedication had put him only into a state of disbelief; a lack of words only gave way to one question: "What now?"
He had attended college for the past 5 years, and was preparing to go into the world to pursue his dreams. He had passion unlike anyone else, and he had a mind that was always swimming with and endless flow of ideas. As he contemplated the positives, he remembered something that a relative of his told him as he was growing up:
"A heavy heart bears the weight of one of life's greatest lessons"
Daily Free Verse # 1: "Shade"
A hammock sways lightly
The breeze carries my thoughts
Waves gently comb the
shoreline in the distance
A tree’s shade cools the sand
where I lay
It’s a shame you aren’t here
to kiss me
Benign thoughts of love
Inspire me to write
It’s a shame that they call
this paradise
Sunday, May 25, 2014
It's a beautiful world
When you wake up every morning, what do you see? is it that alarm clock blaring in your face, letting you know you only have so many minutes before you're going to be late, and that you only have so many hours in a day? Is it a recollection of the dreams you slumbered through last night, wondering how things that seem to have no relevance to one another seemed to make so much sense in your head the night before? Is it a picturesque view just outside your window as it invites the light of a morning sun into the room, bathing the walls in a soft, warm glow?
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and honestly, while that is true, then why do we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others? Why is it that we can't just sit back, crack open a cold one, look off into the distance and simply enjoy what you see, and not others? I suppose this is overgeneralizing a bit, but if everyone embraced themselves like they embraced each unique feat of nature, maybe we would all get along better.
Think about it: Individuality is a beautiful thing. We love it so much, that we pay through the nose to get to see it. You won't find the great wall in Italy, and you won't find Niagra Falls in your back yard; but yet we always think that for some reason a post card on the fridge might just do the trick, when in reality, we all know it barely scratches the surface. So while we're spending our days catching up on the latest gossip on Kim or Lindsey Lohan, it seems like a lot of people like to build around the trends, scandals, quotes, and dirt that they broadcast to the media...why?
Why do so many of us sit back and watch others live life, and devoid ourselves of our own personality, when there is quite literally a world out there just waiting to be explored? You know that nosebleed section Miley ticket you might have spent over $100 on, just to see her dance on an Escalade? Why not a day trip? I'm not saying that someone is ignorant if they prefer a Half-Naked 23 year old to the stunning views of the Chicago skyline or the tranquility of the north woods of Wisconsin, but, I mean, what's the big fucking deal with "celebs" anyway?
Before, we looked up to celebrities because they were role models; someone that understood the concept of "leading by example". Frank Sinatra became a household name, not because he wore a tuxedo, but because he followed his passion, which inspired like minded people to do the same. Now though, the people we consider "celebrities" just don't seem that way; but let's not get the naysayers all heated up about this, because as I mentioned before, this is not a generalization.
So take the advice from either me, or someone you look up to: be yourself. Stop following trends, and start setting them. Everyone is under the impression that following a trend makes you "cool", and, i'm sorry, but that just isn't necessarily the case any more. Set your own trends and go out and experience life on your level. You never know what you'll learn.
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and honestly, while that is true, then why do we spend so much time comparing ourselves to others? Why is it that we can't just sit back, crack open a cold one, look off into the distance and simply enjoy what you see, and not others? I suppose this is overgeneralizing a bit, but if everyone embraced themselves like they embraced each unique feat of nature, maybe we would all get along better.
Think about it: Individuality is a beautiful thing. We love it so much, that we pay through the nose to get to see it. You won't find the great wall in Italy, and you won't find Niagra Falls in your back yard; but yet we always think that for some reason a post card on the fridge might just do the trick, when in reality, we all know it barely scratches the surface. So while we're spending our days catching up on the latest gossip on Kim or Lindsey Lohan, it seems like a lot of people like to build around the trends, scandals, quotes, and dirt that they broadcast to the media...why?
Why do so many of us sit back and watch others live life, and devoid ourselves of our own personality, when there is quite literally a world out there just waiting to be explored? You know that nosebleed section Miley ticket you might have spent over $100 on, just to see her dance on an Escalade? Why not a day trip? I'm not saying that someone is ignorant if they prefer a Half-Naked 23 year old to the stunning views of the Chicago skyline or the tranquility of the north woods of Wisconsin, but, I mean, what's the big fucking deal with "celebs" anyway?
Before, we looked up to celebrities because they were role models; someone that understood the concept of "leading by example". Frank Sinatra became a household name, not because he wore a tuxedo, but because he followed his passion, which inspired like minded people to do the same. Now though, the people we consider "celebrities" just don't seem that way; but let's not get the naysayers all heated up about this, because as I mentioned before, this is not a generalization.
So take the advice from either me, or someone you look up to: be yourself. Stop following trends, and start setting them. Everyone is under the impression that following a trend makes you "cool", and, i'm sorry, but that just isn't necessarily the case any more. Set your own trends and go out and experience life on your level. You never know what you'll learn.
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