Day 276: Good fortune?

Gray hairs dangle from
The mole on her aged jaw
And brush her shoulder

Living in close quarters with 8 million people, you see a lot of interesting faces. I could not take my eyes off the large mole on this woman's face. It wasn't so much the mole itself as the prodigious amount of hair growing out of it, lazily twisting all the way to her collarbone. Part of me sees something like this and thinks "you are awesomely unique and I'm glad you celebrate that." The other part wants to offer her tweezers.

I had seen a man with a similarly epic mole years ago, also on the subway. Both the man and the woman were older Asian people. So I did a little research. Did you know that in traditional Chinese culture, facial moles are used in a form of divination? Depending on its placement a mole can be a source of great luck.

I hope that this woman's mole renders her uncommonly lucky.

Reader Submission from Deb in NYC

A haiku about someone at work:

Her heart radiates
Warmth like an old gym sock that
Somebody pooped in

Well. We all know someone like that.

Day 275: You stink

Biting and acrid
The smell of stale cigarettes
Leaks out of your pores


One of the most difficult aspects of mass transit is the inescapable barrage of odors.