Fierce Wonderings

I wonder –
Who are these strangers,
their chance encounters
filling me with questions?

The teenagers holding hands –
Will they grow old together
or have some silly spat?
Will they wait for life’s pleasures
or think of only now,
the consequences ignored?
Do they dream of the future
or feel trapped by the present,
hopeless,
not daring to dream?

The guy in the old rusted pick-up –
Is he married with a bunch of kids?
Does that make him smile
or sigh with weariness?
Does he wonder at his blessings
or feel trapped by responsibilities?
Does he love his wife
or has that passion grown cold?
Is he dying to get home
or somewhere else?

The old lady peering out the window
On a cold, dark night –
Is she waiting for her husband
or remembering days gone by?
Does she talk to her kids each day
or cling to holiday visits?
When her time here on Earth is over,
will she be remembered with love
or not at all?

I wonder --
As their imagined lives brush mine,
do they ever wonder about me?