Observations on a plane

I saw him as we boarded, with his luggage
in his left hand and a open
box of tomatoes in the right

what an interesting item to xray and
then have to stow away, all the time
worrying one might roll off under
the hard fabric seats

they must be damn good tomatoes,
i muse,
to travel 1000 miles on a
united flight

the rows were not full when we
took flight again, except mine
afraid the people next to my
window seat would not move to
give me some room, i
frantically glance back to the
row behind until they
get the hint

from here in my now open row i
can see the young girl with the
number 2 gripped tightly and her
tray table down
she's a lefty, and recently
learned to write
her hair is in braids and barrettesm her ears are
cuffed in headphones and she on occasion
glances to the tv screen if
something interests her but she's trying to
concentrate on the project before her
so serious with her pencil
and her mom sleeps quietly
in the seat beside her
on their way to meet family they haven't
seen since she was a baby girl.