i don't know what it is

wandering the sprawling 51st street stop it's hard not to notice its distinct smell. it's nothing that i can pinpoint. nor am i sure that i would want to. but i know that between the time the subway doors slide open and smash shut, it wafts into the subway cars. permeating the air. and if i were struck deaf and blind, i would still know that stop when riding on the 6, E, or V.

today, that gave me an odd sense of comfort.