Polarity
by Gabriella Pereira

Oh it’s you again. Stranger from the bus with the orange pom-pom
hat, like the one I saw in that store on Marshall that went under.

Stand with me, won’t you? There are six minutes and a
connection to be shared.

Did you see the beauty in the bus on Monday? Sardines
packed together to escape the cold bite of the wind.

The menagerie of winter gear to gaze. The hat rabbit’s ears
dripping melted snow.

Did you also get lost in the rare blue light that night? How it mixed with the red,
like the scarf of my friend, nails scraping into the handle above.

Or the small space between you and me.
Trying to be the same pole of a magnet.

~

Gabriella Pereira is a fourth-year student at SUNY ESF studying Conservation Biology and Applied Statistics. They have an interest in how language and culture affect people’s perception of the environment and conservation efforts. They also have an interest in coding and hope to go into ecological data analysis. In her spare time, she enjoys playing music, reading, and finding ways to support and strengthen her local communities.

Image credit: Gabriella Pereira, 2025

Author’s note: For those of us who live off-campus, the Centro bus is a popular way to travel home in the wintertime. A Syracuse winter can feel unbearable at times, which is not shy on the faces of those who ride the bus home. With this piece, I wanted to show that there is beauty in mundane —you just need to look.