Quiet Cars
on the NJ Transit
reading Barry Gifford’s
New York, 1960, heading to
New York, 2020, Monday, fall
across the aisle, a seat
ahead, a caramel blonde
lady on her MacBook
what could she be tapping away?
her mask is a formal
White Cotton
mine is a more casual
Grey Nylon
faint tapping of the keys
staccato beat of
train tracks underneath
rustle of Barry’s pages –
the only sounds in
this Second car
on weekdays
First and Last cars are
designated the Quiet Cars
but since the pandemic it’s
All Cars Quiet All the Time
I used to like reading in the Quiet
Frowned upon a bustle, chatter
cell phone going off, a laughing child –
now I long for all of that –
anything
but quiet
The Author
Originally from Moscow, Russia, Pavel is a queer-identified New York City-based performer and writer. He holds an associate’s in English and a Bachelor’s in Communication with a minor in Acting. Pavel has previously self-published three poetry eBooks on Kindle. While finishing his BA at Brooklyn College, Pavel wrote and directed his first two short films: “Sister” has been an official selection at LGBTQ film festivals in 2020 and 2021, while “doggone” won Best Found Footage Horror Short Film at Adbhooture Film Festival in India this past summer.
Instagram & Twitter handle: @ipaulffr
