To The Man That I Fell In Love With On A Tram In Krakow

I saw you, if only momentarily. It was a brief, curious glance as I was sitting in the third row on my way to the old town. I stared and watched you as you took out your phone to check the time. You were only on the tram for a few minutes, enough for me to feel like I knew you. I didn’t stare because I could see you out of the corner of my eye, and that was enough to notice the little details. I fell in love with you for those few minutes, a short, fleeting love that took all of the air out of my lungs and made me rethink every decision I’ve ever made.

You were wearing dark blue jeans, almost black in color, and a well worn black blazer. Casual, but fancy, you were probably on your way home from work, maybe to your girlfriend. She was probably waiting at the door with a kiss, dinner on the table. You probably loved her, maybe she was even your fiancé. Yet, here I was falling in love with a stranger who had his own separate life, his own separate world, on the other side of the globe from my home back in the states.

My month in Krakow was short-lived, with the affection I felt for you in those few minutes even more momentary. The second you stepped out those sliding metal doors I thought about saying something, although the fear of rejection stopped me. I sunk into my seat as the tram doors slammed shut, the sound of them being almost explosive. Maybe I wasn’t in love with you. It could have been that I loved being in love, and feeling something so powerful and passionate that I had to pause my day in order to continue. Emotion controlled me then, but also set me free.