as he entered the bathroom he was overwhelmed with the smell of feces. the stall door was locked and he felt nauseous, yet incapable of stopping breathing in the thick air. this environment pushed an unwelcome intimacy upon him. a forced sharing of odours.

urinating. acrid. early morning piss. stinging his nose. filling the air further. smells intermingling. stomach lurching from the thought. bowels loosening. dizzy. hand on the wall. steadying himself. zipper zipped. splash of water. exit.

breathing. sickened with the thought of being nothing more than another animal. looking at the hair on the backs of his hands he recoiled, stuffing them into his pockets. eyes filling with tears. walking through the fire exit and into the stairwell so no one could watch him cry.

[09/01/03]