| 1 MINUTE READ | Fleeting Hellos & Goodbyes
In the elevator lobby on the fifth floor
the digital display pauses at three
with an arrow pointing upwards
A sudden music fills the room
I turn and see her dressed in a suit
near the out of service elevator
holding a briefcase and handbag in one hand
a water jug and purse in the other
She looks rushed to set things down
I move forward and give her a hand
she nods a thank you
slips her freed hand into a pocket
the music ceases as she answers her phone
The elevator was full so we wait a bit longer
share a brief conversation
she is a flight attendant on a private jet
I am going east on business
We ride quietly down in a crowded elevator
she exits with a familiar bye
I walk away in the haziness
of a warm exchange
with a stranger
I will never see again
Ananda Only 
Like the title.. Elevator music…
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That was a sweet human-to-human encounter. Good poem!
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Nice to see another post from you, Ananda. Lovely.❤
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Such beautiful exchange truly, made me smile remembering some such interactions of my own :)))
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Something so seemingly insignificant to inspire a work of artful poetry. Angelic Messengers come in the most unexpected forms.
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Welcome, my friend, a stranger, it is an open question, is it not?
Joanna
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A brief encounter leaving a lasting image.
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Lovely. Life is made up of such small encounters, except that most of us fail to notice or attend to them. Thank you for your gentle mindfulness.
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This was beautiful. Liked the last line where the narrator walks away in ‘haziness’. This poem is meaningful yet very easy to understand and straightforward. Good going…
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“So on the ocean of life, we pass and speak to one another, Only a look and a voice, then darkness again and a silence.” H.W.Longfellow
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So real and simple, as experienced by all of us regularly.
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Loved this! The subtle passing “connections” we make in the journey of life. Fleeting but meaningful in their own special way⚘
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The transient exchanges between souls.. 🙏🏻♥️
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Yes, such encounters happen in our life. Putting it in words is possible by few like you Anand. Liked it.
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Excellent! For me, attention manifests connection, lays bare the ecology and subtlety of human’s touching each other’s lives. Very well expressed my friend.
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Such fleeting exchanges can be so fresh and delightful. They possess an element of surprise and leave us in awe of the odds and chances. Yes, many we never meet again. They are simply extremely brief encounters.
Beautiful writing! 🙂
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Wonderful storytelling and vivid descriptions! I loved how your turned life’s small moments into a beautiful contemplation 💕
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Nicely and vividly written.
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May be just in your thoughts. Sweet.
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Short encounter beautifully put in
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Very well composed. It takes us to an imaginative world! What then?
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Mina
Loved this!!
So poignant ___ the ability to make a chance encounter___ so interesting .You have the innate talent to make an encounter in the lift come alive!!
I just loved the way you ended it __ by walking away in the haziness from a stranger you will probably never see again.
You seem to be so alive and perceptive to every situation around you and you give life to any mundane t encounter___ Very few people have the ability to do this .
Keep it up.
Thanks
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Anand, How beautifully you have captured the ephemeral!
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A truly out of the blue connecting moment! Lovely. !!
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Lovely!! While reading it, felt just like the wind passing through the hair swiftly.
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So simple, but so deep, Anand!
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Ah, such interesting writing. You’ve captured the intensity of a fleeting moment… well-done!
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I love that she’s carrying a water jug 😊
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Often when we meet a stranger, even if he/she has not done us any good or bad, we still remember that person, it seems that there is a pre-existing relationship. To describe such an invaluable experience in words shows the openness of the person. God bless you.
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Simple and sweet!
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Too short…yeh dil maange more🤗
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Some exchanges may be brief, but lasting. Ananda, I always enjoy your writing – wonderful work describing this impressionable moment. ✨
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I really related to this for some reason. Such a casual encounter, yet so touching.
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I love how you felt something in that brief exchange, the details, the sometimes sadness. So lovely, Hugs, Joni
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