Walking from the Train
Walking from the train my hand brushed against a woman’s leg. The sudden feel of her skin through the fabric of her thin skirt felt surprisingly wonderful and I realized that even though people are familiar to the touch of themselves during the day, even so familiar that any contact is cut out from everyday sensations, that people never touch each other, really feel each other, become aware of someone’s skin, unless it’s like this, by accident. So, I had the feeling of soft thigh, of her legs together as she was walking. I could imagine how it would feel if I rubbed the cloth against her, exploring the softness. I turned around to apologize, and saw a small thin dark young woman who looked shy and embarrassed, someone who looked like they had never …