He looks a little like me—
long hair and a scraggly beard.
We lock eyes for a moment
at a red light, until...
across space and through glass,
he flashes a peace sign,
and I return the gesture.

We look away, then.
The light turns green
and we both drive off
to separate destinations.

I’ll probably never see
this man again.

I smile, and wonder if
he’s smiling too, as the
moment of peace swells
with the distance between us.

© by Brian Rihlmann.
Used with the author’s permission.