Leaving Taichung Station

 

Apostrophe 

  

the tram runs roughshod over the rails, the rain  

in a distinct courtyard, an affair undresses 

he returns her 

toothbrush, she hesitates over a promise 

the neighbors unaware behind the kitchen curtains 

vagaries of love secret out the chimney 

down the street words fall on a diner table, red in the golden light  

afternoon’s sugar drops from a coffee spoon, stirring  

a shadow grows, the dark between the saltshaker and the table's edge  

loss lengthens  

along an argument, a door opens and closes with a rusted ting 

“how sad we are, tripping over ourselves to bow beneath a corporate thumb” 

a declarative lines up along the aisle and kicks up its shoes

mood interrogates a housewife who flirts with an underage waitress  

a businessman fingers an egg-stained tie, the crescent 

of dirt hiding under an index nail, betrayal 

something unexpected drops and rehearsed hope gawks  

this apostrophe 

separating breath in the mode of if this be life, 

Corinthians

outside the city’s backyard something falls fast 

past the pastures and plastic parks, children come and crow 

scrap in the ground with the squirrels, all claw and knees 

obituated couples preen in the grass, deceit slides down

the wall, marriage’s moment of annoyance¹ dunking the afternoon  

or is there something else not seen 

but heard

 

a tram runs roughshod over the rails, the rain  

in a distinct courtyard, loss undresses

outside the city’s backyard and falls fast 

all claw and knees, an apostrophe

hesitates over promises and something unseen

I shall die and so shall you

the cows will wander and our shoes unglue 

the shadows grow and dark between 

if this be life

the written word, the written word remains.

¹Lydia Davis

for: Wan, Chiwan, Mai T and Lydia Davis