maze of shoulders

A woman walks across the street,
feels feet on pavement,
presence of eyes that would meet
her gaze up only she'd lift it up
for a second look:
where are we going?
her feet don't touch the ground today
she's lost in thought, miles away.
bodies, bodies, everywhere
a maze of shoulders,
made to brush, to block:
keep to yourself.
where are they going?
she's been here before
so have you
haven't you seen the way we move?
trails in sand, spider webs
spun in circles, stranded threads
crossing, crossing, endlessly
deserts made of rolling dunes
where every grain touches many more
but wherever you stand
you're hidden from view.

we make our trails, we cross our paths
i've seen you before
we've never met
but I've been breathing your air,
been wearing your frown,
been side-stepping and looking down.
I've held your money at the bakery
I think it was you in line before me
I've drunk from the same glass as you,
your favourite bar, I've sat in your chair
I've borrowed your lighter
you didn't care
didn't even notice, I think
face forgotten in just a blink.
bodies, bodies, everywhere:
where are we standing?
we're where we've always been, she said
and slowly turned her head away
she's somewhere else today
minds, minds, anywhere but here
she asks if she can disappear
into the crowd
and the crowd calls softly back out
yes, you can
we, all of us, can spin our circles
stranded threads
deserts crossed in spider webs
I've seen you before
we've never met