THE FAIREST OF FARES: In Memory of Prabhjot Singh Katri, who was murdered in Truro, N.S., September 5, 2021
A vigil held at the scene of the crime
for the life you lived became not only
a theft or the murder people of Truro
gathered to speak out against, it became
a crime committed with hate as a weapon
leaving what kept you alive and seeking
on a staircase for all to see, left as a clue
for those who attended, tending the candles.
Prabhjot, I chose not to attend, to stand
with those who chose to, a choice to recall
you from a distance, and stand with sadness
by myself in order to hear what was your voice
the day I went into town, decided to wait
for a taxi there in the room where I sat
not knowing we would soon be together,
me in the back, you behind the wheel on
the second shift driving for Layton’s, with
a smile as I said where I wish to go, an avenue
you didn’t know, kindly being honest yet
quietly revealing an embarrassment I’ve seen
and always respected, one I know from
the past, having known others wearing a
black turban and choosing life as a Sikh.
There was no anger because of not knowing
all of Truro’s streets and avenues,
you were open to being taught,
shown what I hoped would become
the routes you eventually choose,
nothing in me thought you shouldn’t
be where you were then, behind the wheel
and ready to allow me to show you
short-cuts and tricky tough-to-find spots,
even as the meter ticked away
those dollars forever the fairest of fares.
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