…
I move along the quiet concourse
toward the darkened food court,
the terrazzo floor catching a faint sheen
under the after-hours lighting.
A smudge on the window dulls
the reflected light from a café sign.
…
I sit near the window,
placing my carry-on bag beside me.
My reflection is in the glass,
the concourse and shuttered shops behind it.
…
I reach into my jacket
for the boarding pass.
The reflection lags a fraction behind.
I pause before looking down
at the pass in my hand.
When I slip it back into my pocket,
the reflection matches the movement.
…
The PA crackles again,
the sound echoing off the polished floor.
I shift in my seat,
the reflection following the adjustment.
…
I lift the phone to check the time.
The hands of the reflection are empty.
…
The air vents hum in the background.
In the glass, the phone is in my hand.
…
A voice crackles from the PA,
announcing that boarding will begin soon.
I stand and move down the concourse,
past the tall windows.
…
…
[start here] [project overview] next: [descent arc] [sine qua non] [whalesong]
