The fluorescent bulb has a nervous twitch

The fluorescent bulb has a nervous twitch.

I wiped the mirror with the heel of my hand

to see the tired lines and the uneven pitch

of a face I still don’t quite understand.

I remembered the bus stop, the rain on the bench,

and the guy who said it like he was telling a lie.

I looked at my shoes and felt a sudden clench,

waiting for the joke to pass me by.