Linea 4
By Parson Thru
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Twelve-thirty, teaching done
A carriage filled with motley souls
winding south
There being no signal on this line
I worry-out the tangle in my earphones
Opposite, a woman watches
Rheumy eyes set only to receive
In my hand, I scroll the list of artists
back and forth
It lands on Ryan Bingham:
Texan country-blues
Two albums in the list
-- I choose “Junky Star”
The Metro’s so noisy
I turn the sound up high
The app chastises me:
I’ll take a chance
The woman opposite has gone,
replaced by another
who takes in every single thing
through plastic oval frames
The man in green beside her
watches only feet:
He’s a foot-watcher – specialist
The woman’s gaze
moves up from my rucksack,
along my bodyline,
resting on my eyes
I wonder what she’s thinking:
“Guiri.” maybe
A guiri headed into town
The foot-watcher scans the carriage floor,
watching feet
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Comments
I like the way you describe
I like the way you describe your observations in this piece. People watching can make for interesting writing.
Jenny.
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I have
come to accept being a "guiri". That outsider status helps with the writing, especially if i do delve into La Vida Andaluz. Did you know, there are 300,000 analfabetos (illiterates) in Spain? Many will be down here in Andalucia, the majority older women and Roma although here they are Gitanos.
Your foot-watching fellow was intriguing, best he doesn't accept the epithet "podophile", there might be a misunderstanding.
Keep on keeping on, PT.
best
Ewan.
P.S. Public transport takes us to as many places in our mind as on their routes.
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It's nice.
Malaga city really is worth a visit. Marbella isn't . I live between two towns, Coín and Alhaurín El Grande. We have some spectacular views .
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You should check out Ronda if
You should check out Ronda if you're down that direction. Truly stunning and they talk loudly behind the guiri's backs. Would love to see your atmospheric prose laying bare the folk down there.
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