0 THE ITCHY, SCRATCHY, TOUCHY, FEELY GOT ME ANTSY - I GOT UP

He walked into the train car swinging his knapsack like a draw string bag and dropped it on the floor. A beer in his left hand, he turned himself and occupied both seats like a lounge chair as he talked to himself continuously. At first I thought he was on the, no a days, you gotta pause before you assume someone is talking to you or themselves. It was pretty apparent though, once we were underground where there was no cell reception. That put me on alert. I've learned a long time ago not to completely tune out on public transit, not if you can help it anyway. As the train move along the tracks he move restlessly. I kept an eye on him from my periferal in the event I had to move quickly. Suddenly, he put his right hand in his pants below the waist, in front, keeping it there. He started he moving  his hand around, seemingly like he was playing with himself. I thought to myself, 'Lord have mercy, father if this man is unstable, keep him calm in this train care under the ground with me in it'.

He removed his right hand and after about 40 seconds, he shifted in the seat and replace his right hand with his left hand. He just played with self. I look around inconspicuously to see  if there were any open seats so I can gently move. Eventually he took his hand out and started scratching his left armpit as his self talk raise in volume. The train stopped and let out and take in passengers. A six foot plus caucasian, tatted man with a large knapsack and a kick scooter 🛴 looked at him lounging and said, "can I sit here ". The young man who I'll call, Feeler man, pulls his hand out his pants, jumps up and moved to the corner seat saying, "sure, sure, sure". The man--who I'll call Scooter-man sits down.

Feeler-man still having conversations with himself, fidgets in the corner seat, then, to my horror, promptly puts his left hand in his ass. He digs around in there, then pulls his handir out, leans forward, bend and wipes it to the underside of the vacant seat where I was sitting. I thought, 'what in the actual royal fuck'! Only to see him do it again two more times. I thought, 'uh uh, hell to the fucking no'! 

While I have compassion for those that suffer from mental illness, which clearly can be applied to Feeler-man. I had finally reached my threshold of uncomfortable endurance. I got up. I still had a long way to go, with a sensitive hip but I simply didn't care, at that point, I needed to seek refuge elsewhere. It was all too much. I gently rose, walked to opposite end of the train car, ensuring that my face didn't betray what I was feeling, stood for a couple of stops as there were no seating. I was finally able to get a seat and enjoyed the rest of my ride in relative comfort.

©D.S.B.S.Rhapsodyphoenix

_______________________________________________________________

"You can inform the people you love of what you want for them, but, you cannot transform them into living it out."–-Dr. Ronn Elmore. 

0 IT'S BASICALLY A TACO

Some shit just makes you laugh. 

Coming out of sneaky Dee's texmex restaurant, I paused at the outdoor patio to catch my bearings as the sunlight was super bright and reflective. As my eyes acclimated to brightness I saw and heard a man--caucasian, late 30s, holding up a hard shell taco 🌮 and said. 

"It's like a taco, see", and he holds up, saying, "except it's like a taco and you could ah break it like this," and he breaks it in half. Then he demonstrates with a scooping action how the boy can use the halk taco like a spoon to scoop the meat. 

I shook my head continuing on my way, laughing to myself. Thinking, the man picks up a taco and says, it's like a taco 🌮 😏. Seriously 😳, dude, it's not like a taco, it is a damn taco!!

©D.S.B.S.Rhapsodyphoenix

0 THE ENTITLEMENT IS REAL

SHE TAKES UP 4 SEATS

It was a hot sweltering, sticky day. The air was humid and the heat rising from the asphalt settled on my taste buds as of I licked the street with my tongue. My knees still ached from the fall I experienced--I fell like a ton of bricks at her house. I waited patiently for the streetcar to arrive..

I boarded the streetcar hoping for seat because I ached all over my body especially my knees, one of which I could bend very well. I saw an empseat but it was blocked by a stroller, which was empty. I looked at the woman, her two sons occupied seats,  she occupied another and the empty blocked another available seat. Before I could say something, someone offered me a seat. It was bigger with more room, so, I said thank you and sat down.

At the next stop and elderly lady came on. I asked if she wanted a seat. "No thank, I am not going far.  The lady that occupied the 4 seats, didn't make any accommodations for the elderly.  She didn't attempt to close the stroller. She just sat there, oblivious and entitled. 

I just shook my head, thinking,  "the entitlement is real.

(C) D.S.B.S Rhapsodyphoenix

0 THE QUACKING DOG

Quack, quack, quack, quack. I heard behind me as I hurried to the bus stop to catch the 9:33 bus. I was on my way to my sister's to spend mother's Day with my mother, sister, brother, cousin and daughters. 

The incessant quacking got my attention and I though as I hurried along, 'how did a duck get all the way out here. On the heels of that though came another, 'nah,' I say as entered into a two way dialogue with the self, focused on getting to the stop on time.

'It's probably just a dog.'

'A dog? What the heck kind of dog sounds like that?'

'A little one, maybe one of those little Chihuahuas.' 

'But, a quack though, wouldn't be more like a yip than a quack?'

As I pontificate the merits of sounds belonging to a duck verses a dog, curiosity got the better of me and I turned around as I reached my destination, hoping to settle the internal debate as the instant quacking did not seize. 

I turned and there quacking up a storm, dancing vibrantly as if in long anticipation of my acknowledgement, is a tiny black dog, hair around the head flair out in every direction in spikes, quacking double time as if to say, " finally, didn't you here me calling you"? I looked at the owner and smiled and the little thing snapped 3 quick quacks, indignantly as saying, hold up a damn minute here, what you not going to do is ignore me. I have been calling all this time and you smiling at her, what you smiling at her for, I called you. 

I looked at the itty bitty fluff wagging joyously and apologized, "I am sorry, I see you". 

"Quack". 

"You enjoying your walk?" 

"Quack, quack, quack".

"You are huh."

The owner pulls on the leash moving in the opposite direction, the dog plants it feet as if to say, hold nah, am talking here, what's you hurry. I looked at the dog struggling to hold the her owner on place. I say, ok, enjoy you walk, thanks for saying hi." I looked at the owner and asked, " what kind of dog is she?" Pomeranian. The tiny Pomeranian quacked again as if to say, hey talk to me not her, and quacked rapidly as if annoyed. She pulled on his leach again followed by an insistent, "come onnn". The Pomeranian looked at her, then turned back time with four quacks as if to say, "I have to go". I waved and said bye simultaneously to which the little Pomeranian answered, "quack". I smiled to myself thinking, a quacking dog. If somebody had told me a dog bark could sound like a legit duck quack I would've called them a liar. 

©D.S.B.S. Rhapsody Phoenix

4 LION'S STRETCH, COW SOUNDS

Sitting on the train reading, "The Marriage He Demands" by Brenda Jackson, I heard these almost mooing sound coming from my left. I paused, turning my heading to the left, there, I saw a woman stretching like a lion, hands thrown in the air, yawning 🥱 and making mooing sounds like a cow. I thought, 'what the hell!'. Ah mean, damn, she was behaving like she was alone and still in bed. The only saving grace in the moment was the fact that she had on a mask 😷 that automatically covered her mouth!

Thank God for small mercies 🙏🏽.

©Rhapsodyphoenix