a crowded mid-town bus around noon

i watch her mouth move
when she talks
on a phone
the way her lips
stretch & shrink &
curl
the way her tongue
moves

she has perfect teeth
straight
white
obviously bleached
only a few wrinkles
begin to show

i cannot guess her age
she is not talking to me
perhaps to a lover
or a client
or her lawyer
about impending divorce

finally i am noticed
her eyes flare
she stops speaking
'the fuck you lookin at, huh?'

i quickly turn away
& fumble with my phone --