I hate it —
standing in line, that is

Queuing to check in
at Taoyuan airport last night
tested my patience

I confess I jumped the line
The lady at the first class counter
checked me in with a smile
even though I was flying coach

I detest the long lines
at Broadway shows,
train stations and taxi ranks,
airport check-in counters,
TSA airport security,
aircraft boarding by zones,
supermarkets, movie theaters,
rock concerts, sports events,
busy traffic intersections,
doctors’ waiting rooms,
voting booths…

In fact, I actively avoid
anywhere I have to stand in line

Yet I have been standing in line
all my life — right here
at my designated spot
not just me — but everyone else

Standing in the line ahead of me
are faceless people, unrecognized
until, every now and then
a multi-hued flash
like a firework rocket
blossoms in the night sky
casting flickering panoramas
of the hopes, dreams and achievements
of a familiar life

And in those moments
I have recognized my father,
my mother, my brother
I saw Maureen, Josephine
Jimmy and Phong Yuan

When I reach the head of the line
will my life shine as brightly?

Yet in this line
I’m in no hurry
I don’t mind the wait