SLOWLY BLEED.

A MAN AND HIS THOUGHTS ON A WOMAN ON THE TRAIN.

For months and months
He’s been wanting to sit
Next to her on the train
But each morning the seat

Next to her is occupied and
He has had to sit near by or
If he was lucky opposite her
In the same carriage but today

He’s sitting next to her at last
And she’s only a few inches
Away a mere cigarette paper
Distance between his thigh

And hers and he breathes in
Deeply as if he needed more
Air and feels her closeness
And smells her perfume although

He can’t distinguish the brand
He loves it and sniffs and takes
It in and lets it flow around his
Head like a trapped bird and he

Looks at her hands holding the
Book how well manicured the
Nails are how just right the fingers
Are in size not too fat or anorexia

Thin but just spot on and he looks
Down at her knees just above the
Dress she’s wearing the bright blue
Dress the one he’s always liked

As if she may have known that
And is wearing it just for him just
For him to peek and the knees are
Tight together touching and he’s

Tempted to place his hand there
Just for a moment but he pulls his
Hand back into his lap like a naughty
Child and taps it but the woman

Doesn’t see she is too engrossed
In her book and maybe doesn’t
Even think about him as he does
Her after he’s left the train in the

Morning and goes into work and
Sits and thinks about what she may
Be doing and where she goes and
At night once he is tucked up in

Bed and mother has said goodnight
Timothy he thinks about her and
Where she sleeps and how she lies
And what she wears to bed if anything

And now sitting beside her he feels
The urge to kiss her cheek just like
That his lips her cheek her flesh but
He doesn’t he doesn’t want to spoil

The illusion to bring her too much
Up close to taint the image he has
Of her and so he looks the other way
Out of the window at the passing

Scene and the fields and trees and
Rivers and sky and breathes in the
Air and her perfume and waits for
The moment she’ll turn and say Hello

Timothy how are you today? But he
Knows she won’t won’t say a word
She’ll just sit and read and he’ll just
Sit in love with her and slowly bleed.