a whisper in my ear
as you pass
they are not words I'd like to hear
you walked right past me without losing a step
but the words linger
I say nothing as I hasten my step
and wrap my coat
tightly around my body
as if to cover up
after having been stripped
by the prying eyes of a stranger
in broad daylight
on a busy New York street
with no witnesses
but your conscience
and my memory