First class regional transit by Jaala Hallett

As part of EWF X Hate Mail (2026)

We're running an hour behind 
Oh wait no 50 minutes 
We've got the wind behind us

There's a knobbly finger outstretched while mum shuffles her baby past the grey haired woman
Maybe they were introduced earlier in the buffet car?
Either way 
I don't think it matters;
the situation dictates 
Mum must turn her child toward the stranger now
cause they REALLY needed that tummy tickle 
And I remember how I was always forced to turn my cheek to some older man 
who knew me when I was only ~this big~ 

I'm sorry for yelling 
There wasn't any ramp and they said there was going to be a ramp 

Also 
A fur coat is a perfectly acceptable item of outerwear
For a 7hr train trip 

Meanwhile
Someone's going to have a quiet word to the translink officer 
Cause that lady is being very annoying and laughing too loud
I'm sitting two seats away and I wonder if they've clocked:
The giant teddy bear
The backpack covered in cartoons
The rainbows and the stars
The black texta on her sneakers
This woman has got to be at least 35 years old
There's no kids around 
and they still haven't clocked it
I dunno what's worse 

An argument erupts
It's Tigers first on the ladder 
No
It's bloody Penrith
And I have questions of my own

Can one 'saunter' on a moving train?
Is 1.30pm too early for 3 Canadian Clubs? 
Is your phone a computer?

I may as well get out and push this fucken train