glass

a fast food worker wields a mop.

she washes floors

to the sound of children

laughing on the playground.

one stops to look at her.

he watches the girl

with interest,

although the people around her

see only a lowly fast food worker.

in fact,

to most,

she’s invisible.

but the little boy notices her.

he bangs on the glass.

the girl looks up.

she almost looks scared,

like leaving her world of cleaning

will force her to think about

the other world she comes from.

the one that’s more complicated than fries and burgers.

the little boy smashes his face against the window,

makes her laugh.

then he waves.

she waves back.

he goes back to his play.

the girl reaches out

as if she wishes she could

crawl through the glass

back to the world of her

playground days

but she only meets hard, cold glass.