On the bus

Moishe Pipik and I

discuss violations

of the 10th commandment.

It all comes out the same,

he says,

The honorable woman

and the dishonorable,

then dips his finger

into his bellybutton

and sniffs.

I want to be different

than I am,

I say.

You and PollyAnna both,

he says,

And it's my stop.

He lifts his bike offrack

sober whispers to himself

a long Talmudic talk

that never began

and thus, never ends.