in your eyes | Poppy Cedes

It’s been a while since I’ve talked about any subway adventures, mainly because everything is old hat to me now, but today something different happened.

I was sitting on the E train bench reading my book with my earphones in when two women, a man, and a little girl of 2 or 3 came to stand in front of my area of the bench. The man sitting next to me got up and, because the little girl didn’t want to sit down, the two women sat one on top of the other while they discussed events of their lives and what they would do once they got to Union Turnpike. And then, all of a sudden, the little girl turned to me and touched my book with her hand and I looked into her beautiful tan eyes and what I saw was love, compassion for all, and happy curiosity. The emotion of this hit me so hard that my eyes welled up with tears. I gave her a smile and said “hi,” she gave me a smile and said nothing, and I went back to reading my book. She didn’t want to sit, she just wanted to lean against me and hang out, so she did. And then at one point she bumped my book by mistake and turned around to look at me with sad, sad eyes and said “sorry!” and I shook my head with my big, sappy smile and wet eyes and eeked out, “no worries.” And then it was her stop and she was gone.

I wonder how long it will take me to forget her. Or will I remember her forever because of who she made me think of when I looked into her eyes? (Rhetorical, rhetorical.)

9 thoughts on “in your eyes”

i love that she just wanted to lean against you and hang out almost as much as i love that she needed to touch your book. sweet, sweet story.

Those little human beings have a way of gently reaching down & hugging your soul, don’t they. Very sweet.

(Poppy makes – a me cry!)

This might be the sweetest post I have ever read.

Thank you.

Some people are angels in disguise.

Some forget to wear theirs when they get on the train.

I would wonder if she got my book jacket sticky. All little kids have sticky fingers, and if you’re lucky, those tiny digits are just sticky with candy leavin’s, not mucous.

What are we really welling up with tears about here?

And then she stole your cookies, so you had to chase her off the E-train, right? RIGHT??

No making the Chicka cry. Simply not allowed.

This is so incredibly profound that I don’t know what to say. Can’t help but wonder about that girl and where life will lead her. Maybe, one day, she will be the one in that seat.

I have learned that the angels come to let us know it will all be ok. And you’ve made me cry dammitt!

hello haha narf on August 4, 2009 at 20:57 said:

i love that she just wanted to lean against you and hang out almost as much as i love that she needed to touch your book. sweet, sweet story.
Tug on August 4, 2009 at 21:20 said:

Those little human beings have a way of gently reaching down & hugging your soul, don’t they. Very sweet.
Sybil Law on August 4, 2009 at 22:09 said:

(Poppy makes – a me cry!)
B.E. Earl on August 5, 2009 at 01:21 said:

This might be the sweetest post I have ever read.

Thank you.
whall on August 5, 2009 at 10:37 said:

Some people are angels in disguise.

Some forget to wear theirs when they get on the train.
BelchSpeak on August 5, 2009 at 16:31 said:

I would wonder if she got my book jacket sticky. All little kids have sticky fingers, and if you’re lucky, those tiny digits are just sticky with candy leavin’s, not mucous.

What are we really welling up with tears about here?
Kris on August 5, 2009 at 19:07 said:

And then she stole your cookies, so you had to chase her off the E-train, right? RIGHT??

No making the Chicka cry. Simply not allowed.
Creature SH on August 5, 2009 at 21:20 said:

This is so incredibly profound that I don’t know what to say. Can’t help but wonder about that girl and where life will lead her. Maybe, one day, she will be the one in that seat.
Becca on August 6, 2009 at 09:13 said:

I have learned that the angels come to let us know it will all be ok. And you’ve made me cry dammitt!