MARIACHIS AND MINE YIDDISH MAMMALEH ON THE #7 TRAIN

There was the day I was tired blue bone beat oxygen deprived lack of sleep dove for a seat. Sat. Met no eye. Mute morning willed myself to work. Doh-des-kah-den train trotted track toward Manhattan. Then a note thin exquisite scissored air. Lifted my head. Five gnarled nubs fingered fiddle neck right hand bowed Stradivarian pecs. Then a voice. White whiskered lulled soothed sobbed rough lullaby. Sly. A cry a laugh. What language in a single breath all that? I looked about. Every eye on the violinist tabloids down no talk his song a dart in every heart. Then oy a ragged sigh mine. I recognized here a word there a gesture breath. It's Yiddish I said asked begged. Nu the old guy shrugged what else? You expected opera a classical concerto I should maybe play a symphony? 

There was the night that night in fact I parked my butt on a hard plastic bench leaned sticky back sweat drenched glad to escape the street station stink. Doh-des-kah-den headed home to Queens. Started to read. Now a note. A string plucked sweet and tangy two then three struck clean through me. Book shut I gazed. Sombreros bolos sad deep smiling eyes. Throats throbbed lilting tones soothed sobbed laughed ay-ay-ay-ay laments. Dulcet tenor breathy bass baritone vibrato on the International Express. Gnarled nubs strummed guitarrón. I looked about. Every eye on the mariachis tabloids down no talk their melody a gift to tired evening hearts. Then ah a ragged sigh mine. I recognized few words heard corazón exchanged a fast shy glance across the aisle watched Woodside pass I'd missed my stop. Stayed on the train till Jackson Heights.