Idling down to Sunday market

One eye on the level crossing

Mulling buying grapes and garlic

Maybe back to church – worth going?

Yes, no. Yes, no. Yes, no…. No. No.

 

A slender woman at the kerb 

Waited for the lights to change

Unperturbed by helter skelter

Crazy pell mell pavement riders

Mums and dads and kids and dogs

Darting headlong into traffic

Wore lissom grace that mean street life

And modern stress had not erased

 

Such women! Beautiful women!

I’d loved too many recklessly

I thought I’d love to love again

Maybe I could…could love again

No…there might be too much pain.

 

She did not see me as I passed

Her thoughts were on her family

Or food, or friends or holidays

But I saw her. And I knew her

We loved each other years ago

And parted like stale lovers do

 

I ought to stop and say hello

And risk rekindling what we shared

But seedless grapes and garlic thoughts

Brought me back to earth again

I quietly sighed as I rode by

 

No. No. Yes. No. No. The pain.