Working Women on MARTA

In unruffled mastery of the transit
they glide toward empty seats
like hockey players,
negotiated along the tracks
by the myth called "better jobs."

From midtown crossing
to five points,
twenty hours a week they sit
going in and out
the underground stations--
__Checkered walls, green
__Checkered walls, green.

They move through the city
as if they just left the penalty box.
their glance held straight
by eyes cut of hard ice.
And when they see things fall
they clap their hands
and dance.


___ -- Neca Stoller



Neca Stoller. Born in Savannah, Ga., Neca graduated from the University of Georgia with a B. A. in Economics. After years of living in a metro area, the family moved to a rural county and raised cattle. She helped draft the first planning ordinances for the county and served as Chairman of the Planning Commission. Her first book of poetry, Bound by Red Clay ibsn 0-9646450-8-4, was published in March, 1999 and is available at amazon.com. Her latest project is a workbook, How to Write Haiku & Cinquain. This will be a beginner's guide, especially useful to teachers. It should be published in March, 2000.