To the Chambers Street Station: A Modern Odyssey
Reading Time: 2 minutes
Our hero races down the hall
Much to the bystanding couple’s dismay
He pushes them straight into a wall
Running on, praying for a train delay.
His locker remains neglected
Hanging open, lock exposed.
If comes a thief, as suspected
His loss will have been self-imposed
A trip here, a collision there
He speeds down several escalators
The smell of freedom fills the air
Refreshed, he makes a bolt for Chambers
The poor freshman who gets overrun
And the McDonalds that glistens bright
The SciOly team, incapable of having fun
All stand frozen on this Monday night.
Yet this student can no longer be still
For he snoozed long past his due
“I have at least 30 minutes until
the LIRR,” he said, in a joyful mood.
His alarm may have failed him
His actions weren’t noble
The only thought that strikes him,
“I should have slept in global.”
With eight minutes to spare in theory,
And 11 minutes left of commute,
This brave young soul feels an eerie
Sense of dread—this fiasco isn’t cute.
Jumping over the rails of the stairs,
And failing to swipe three times,
Our hero somersaults into the musty air
Of a 2 train car, committing many crimes
A tall fellow conveniently blocking
The entrance to the great land of Penn
Our hero scooches to the framing
Of doors, ready to crush him there and then.
Three minutes till the train and two to get there
Our hero is sweaty and pale
No time for rest, his dignity lays bare
Catching his breath like a beached whale
Ding go the doors
Success has nearly been reached!
Hallelujah! he nearly kisses the floors
But salvation is hardly within his reach.
Run again, run again, read the sign
Out of the way, tourist!
Is it platform 20 or 21 this time?
Not now, subway purist!
Sprinting like the track team,
Mustering all his courage, he leaps in!
A click resonates behind him
He’s done it, thanks to the power within.
An exhale of relief
When he finds a seat, he sighs with ease
Alas, his joy is brief
For the conductor goes, “ticket please?”
All beasts have been slain!
This is truly the final stretch!
Suffer not, this pain
Or be made the veriest wretch
But every pocket bare
The mood suddenly somber
His ticket isn’t there.
He left it in his locker.