she eased
into the train car
with a slight
limp and one
of her shoes in
her hand

"can you please-"

she looked at me
with seriously
pleading eyes
and the ashamed
demeanor
of one
recently evicted

"help a homeless sista-"

I looked right back
and shook my head
-no--
wishing it could be
-yes--
cowering at my own
helplessness

"with some change?"

as she slowly and
dejectedly
limped off the
train...
I sank
and cried 
on the inside...
truly defeated