Red light in traffic,
I press the brake of my rickety VW
and wait for the green to press the accelerator.
Meanwhile, voices from NPR on the car radio fill me
filters out news of home and foreign lands.
My fingers tap impatiently on the steering
eyes scan the surroundings and quickly come back
on the traffic light.
Is it green? Still waiting. Let’s check the phone.
Right-hand stretches for the iPhone on the dashboard.
Ting-ting! Ting-ting! I have been hearing
of incoming messages.
Quick as lightning, thumbs scroll to Facebook
and then on to Messenger.
My heart leaps.
My beloved has his tiny green button on!
I have to say Hi and send a red heart Emoji.
Fingers are ready to type the message, but then
the traffic light turns green.
I want to send a heart, at least.
The driver from the back honks loudly.
Oh no!
I press the accelerator, and the car rolls on.
But my heart and soul linger on a green light;
a tiny one on my phone.
Couldn’t the red light be on a little longer?
Tulip Chowdhury writes from Georgia, USA.
