i cannot begin to fathom

why i was born me

and you were born you,

 

my sister in humanity as

we ride beside each other

on transport public

 

in your own country.

i did nothing to earn

my seemingly privileged

 

position, not wealthy in

my own land but incredibly

so in yours. yet who is to say

 

that you are not privileged in

matters of consequence greater.

i do not know your life, your story,

 

and you do not know mine.

so, right now we will sit here quiet

and gift each other with met eyes

 

and occasional soft smiles as we ride.

because even though we live

worlds apart we are both human,

 

both women, this,

our universal bond 

regardless of the rest.

Heather Pound 2023

Photo by engin akyurt on Unsplash