riding in the quiet car

she prefers the quiet
car on the train.
no noise, no
talking. just quiet reading
and pointing,
making silent gestures
about hunger
and thirst.
you become koko
the monkey
in the quiet car.
you whisper to her
saying how quiet it is
in here,
which makes her put
her fingers
to her lips
and say shhh.
well, it is, you insist.
raising your
voice slightly as you
open up a bag
of potato chips.
this makes several
people stand up
and wag their fingers
at you, shaking
their heads, with thick
unreadable books
in their hands,
glasses on
their noses. they mouth
the word quiet car,
which is hard to
understand, not being
a lip reader, so
you yell out, what?
I don't know what you're
saying.
they all seem very angry,
so as a peace offering
you stand up and say,
chips anyone?
to which you get
no reply.