Black Boys Play the Classics

The most popular “act” in
Penn Station
is the three black kids in ratty 
sneakers & T-shirts playing
two violins and a cello—Brahms. 
White men in business suits
have already dug into their pockets 
as they pass and they toss in 
a dollar or two without stopping. 
Brown men in work-soiled khakis 
stand with their mouths open, 
arms crossed on their bellies 
as if they themselves have always 
wanted to attempt those bars. 
One white boy, three, sits
cross-legged in front of his
idols—in ecstasy—
their slick, dark faces,
their thin, wiry arms,
who must begin to look
like angels!
Why does this trembling
pull us?
A: Beneath the surface we are one.
B: Amazing! I did not think that they could speak this tongue.