THE QUIET CAR
She’s a 20-something graduate of Brown
He’s a 20-something graduate of Princeton
Standing on the crowded train platform
waiting for the Acela
She’s a lonely girl . . .
he’s a lonely fella . . .
They don’t know it but . .
they’re going to the same place
a wedding tomorrow on the vineyard in Edgartown
they don’t know it but in Boston
they both have reservations
the same limo will take the two of them
all the way down
To the ferry but that’s not very important yet
the Acela’s here they scramble for a seat
she’s a friend of the bride he’s a friend of the groom
and as Fate would have it cute is how they meet
Yes, the two are traveling in tandem
the boy from Princeton and the girl from Brown
and they both giggle nervously
when they say hello
Til the conductor yells:
“KEEP YOUR VOICES DOWN!!
This is the Quiet Car! No talking! No phone calls!
conversation in this car is not allowed!
the train is sold out so there’s no empty seats --
this is the Quiet Car, so don’t you dare talk loud!”
The girl from Brown whips out her cell phone
the boy from Princeton types his number in
she sends him a text, Hi my nam is Joy
he types my nam is Joe — I am frm Berlin
She types back I ws born in Paris
I have dual-citizenshp, he types: so do I
she majored in German he majored in French
their spirits are lifting as the towns fly by
They discover they’re both heading for a wedding
yes, the exact same one in Edgartown
they each could have brought a plus one but
they each had a feeling their plus one would bring them down
And they wanted to be free so they could mingle
because both wanted to meet somebody new
Joy looked at Joe and Joe looked at Joy
thinking could that special someone . . . be you?
They both love basketball and theater
they both love dogs and both hate cats
they both love to ski and play Scrabble
they both love to wear goofy hats
They both love the Yankees and the Giants
they both love Manhattan best in the Fall
they both have a passion for Noah Baumbach films
of their favorite foods they love pumpkin pie
most of all
They zoom past New Haven and New London
near Providence Joy reminisced
about the time when she worked the state for Hillary
he typed back: Are you a feminist?
She typed: ys n Democrat, and you are?
he hesitated then wrote: lets not go there
he tried to change the subject to something else
typed: look at all those pretty clouds up in the air
DID U VOTE 4 HIM? she typed in all caps
He typed back: r u sure u want 2 know?
She typed back: ys, is importnt
thinking to herself Oh say it isn’t so
Ys, I voted 4 him n Im happy
that hes shaking things up in Washingtn
I’m working 4 his re-election campaign
there’s so much more 2 do — he is not done
As the train lumbered on toward Boston
Joy put her cell phone away
Joe put his headphones on to listen to
Sean Hannity prevaricate that day
In Boston they grabbed their bags and parted
only to meet up — damn — at that limousine
in silence they rode to the ferry
at the hotel Joy had room 20
Joe was room 19
It was the worst wedding either had attended
and both had been to more than one disaster
they both thought Why isn’t there
a fast forward button
to get me through this awful weekend faster?
On Sunday night they boarded the same ferry
made a wish upon the same shooting star
they rode the train back to New York City
enduring silence in the Quiet Car . . .
Oh, I’m kidding — he’s not a Republican
he’s a Buddhist — and guess what? she is too
and yes, they are both Vegans
in the Cloud Appreciation Society
talking like sesquipedalians
is something else they love to do
They both adore the movie, “Coco” and have seen it
so many times and every time they cried
next time they watch it Joe will pop the question
Joy will make such a lovely bride
So all you single people who can hear me
Next time a wedding invitation comes your way
Don’t take a “plus one” unless you must
Who knows what Cupid might have in store for you that day?
And if you must travel to that wedding
the Quiet Car might be the perfect place
for you to strike up a silent conversation
have your cell phone charger handy
have your cell phone charger handy
have your cell phone charger handy
— just in case
Credits:
Christine Lavin: vocal and guitar
Steve Doyle: bass