The room is still
There are two rows of chairs
All white and empty
We are early

More women come and sit
One chair buffers us from one another
Shame keeps us from looking from side to side
We all stare at our hands and phones, try not to remember faces or be remembered

The room’s light is like a fading smile,
Like something beautiful once, but now gray

At school everyone shines, light dances with thiem
White reflects light, and black absorbs
They are stunning, smiles, radiant
I am sitting, waiting, absorbing
I am… waiting for food

More people are here now
A mother with a child, and three other women
I can’t help but notice that they all look like me

The child is crying now, and I can’t help but smile
He bears no shame
His tears are his mother’s liquid hope
I silently pray that he never grows

Outside the air was cold, wet, and judgmental

There was a car
It was on, loud, warm, and empty
It was playing a Spanish song full blast
Almost asking you to fill it

I told my mom that the car was on, in fear of the light dying
She told me some people can’t turn it off, or else it would never turn back on

To me it was was like the end of a tunnel
Unapologetically on, shining, shameless, and singing