first person singular

on the smoked glass wall

of the bus shelter

this morning

someone had scrawled

with silver sharpie:

i am the reason

abortion should be legal.

what shade of pain is this,

the anguish of seventeen,

with knife-scarred wrists?

or the hate-daubed dart

of furtive resentment?

aimed at

the multi-colored,

multi-tongued

riders on the morning bus.

a cry or a spit in the eye?

some other sharpie wielding citizen

had crossed out the first inscription

with a carefully targeted gold X

and added their contribution below

in big bold caps: PROLIFE