"What I Hear" (Soundwalk)

"What I Hear" (Soundwalk)

There's a lot to listen to on the subway. Today it's been raining, so the noise of people getting on and off is doubled by their squeaking shoes. Across from me, a man plays an iPhone game that bings every time he swipes the screen. Next to me, a woman applies makeup, the various loose palettes of her eyeshadow clinking against each other with the motion of the train. This all to say nothing of the constant sound of the trains forward motion.

An automated voice announces the approaching stop and the one after ("This is: Queensboro Plaza. The next stop is: Lexington Avenue--59th Street.") as the train comes to a whining halt. Two men board, their shoes making a dull scuffing sound. They discuss their destination over the sticky sound of their vinyl rain jackets rubbing against each other. Further down the car, a woman answers her quietly vibrating cell phone as the train grunts into motion once more. She speaks in loud Korean to the person on the other line, who can be heard as barely audible grumbles responding periodically. There is a whoosh and a deepening of the trains groaning sound that indicates the subway has gone underground, entering Manhattan.