A woman squeezing through metro

I notice she attracted looks

heads turn as she wanders

down the aisle without a seat in sight

I assume because her hair is gone

and her sagging skin

and her blackened bare feet

and her limp abscessed arms

But she still has a smile

so I smile back

I think that gave her comfort

because next to me she sat

she tried to speak but her tongue was tied

the words uttered indistinguishable from a baby’s first

so I saved her the trouble and asked how she was

she said child

I’ve been worse

suddenly she broke into story

about her time in Nam as a nurse

how the supposed heroines

would go through heroin withdrawal

ripping out nails with their teeth first

then killing locals just to find more

she then whipped out a dime of black tar

she said son come with me let’s explore

a world I assume you never seen

where highs are above the clouds

and your lows deeper than seas

I said yes

then awoke from the scene