Ex Libris
(Notes for placing in books left for other passengers to pick up on public transportation)
This book left behind on the freshly vacated seat
has not been forgotten; it is a gift
from stranger to stranger,
the passing of which is too intimate
to survive ever meeting
face to face.
However long your journey
may the prisoner incarcerated inside these pages
speak to you quietly
as you sit, one of a crowd
ever in motion. He is telling you his crime
in the hope of forgiveness.
Today would be like any other
were it not for the discovery
of this unexpected story
you pick up to make room for yourself.
Hold it as you would a bird
that flew into the carriage by mistake
entrusting itself to your care.
Imagine a bookstore
where there is no charge.
Imagine a journey
from cover to cover.
Imagine a library
where you check out goodwill
with no return date.
