Adieus

The smell of soaking raincoats and the drum
of water overhead – safe from the rain
below the dirty dome we took our leave
with water dripping from our hair to make
a wet, cold kiss, pale in the arc lights, drawn,
our faces sickly white. We didn’t speak;
farewell seemed irreversible, and au
revoir belied what we both knew. We looked
at one another guardedly, and stood
and smiled a rueful smile, and then the train
gushed in along the platform, full of life,
and shrieked unto a stop. We nodded once.
She lightly touched my cheek and turned to board,
and still I stood and watched; and still it poured.