There is a way people run their eyes from you on the train. Their head tilts back, slightly to the side, their eyes travel up (not too fast now), there is something suddenly very interesting there, how could they have not seen it before, they must look at it now, yes now, where is it where is it, oh there, yes, right there.

There is a way people sit down. You can tell much more about somebody by how they sit down than by how they look away. Some start sitting already when they are standing up. They know where they're headed. They bend their ass out, stick their arms to the sides, and then, after a beautiful stillness, slide in. This is done even if the car is empty. Like hunger artists they perform for no one, they perform without performing. They sit down, push their back against the plastic and begin shaking their leg, anticipating, anticipating.

(Then of course there are the ploppers, the shovers (make-upped women with linebacker wingspans), the leggers, the leaners... these are all very special food groups and merit their own place and their own aside).

On the train there is a way people fall asleep. This is my favorite. Most do not know that sleep is leaning over them, looking over their shoulder, already in what they read and what they write. A simple nod of the head gets most amateurs. They get closer into their lap, their eyes slide, their eyes slide, a pair of ice skaters pushing away, away, away... and they're off.

The conductor jumps into the loudspeaker, the train is going express, express, EXPRESS! but nobody hears him. Earphoned heads lullaby softly their blackberried eyes.

Tudud-tudud. Tudud-tudud.