A Word I Had Never Before

[Yonah Jeong]

I woke up early in the morning
To ensure I wouldn't be late
for my 10 o'clock appointment
I caught the bus at 7:15
After getting off at PABT
I walked toward the intersection of 32nd Street
and Park Avenue—
walking right into a summer
that had arrived ahead of spring
Just like always:
Busy clouds
busy flocks of birds
busy cars
and the busy New Yorkers
Oh—and, of course
I walked amidst the busy buildings
Feeling, for some reason
that something good was bound to happen today
I chose a path different from my usual route
and walked directly
beneath the Empire State Building
As I walked along and paused at a traffic light
a young woman—
looking wesry and weary—caught my eye
She asked if I could spare just one dollar
My left hand reached for my wallet
while my right hand clenched into a fist
Should I give this money?
Would it be put to good use?
No one else standing at the intersection—
no one but me—
seemed to notice her, let alone offer a dollar
Just as the red light was about to change
I instinctively glanced to the side—
and our eyes met
I pulled a single bill
from my wallet and handed it to her
for a while
she offered me her thanks:
"Thank you, darling".