One man dug into the last seat
as though to disappear
& I didn’t know my husband was dying
Lovers returned to conversation
left mid-sentence and who
was real or imagined
Just say goodbye—
& I didn’t know my husband was dying
Something is here he said lying beside me
but who knew then
what was real or imagined—
I was a closed compartment
with pearls in my mouth
wanting to breathe life back into an oyster shell
& I knew he was dying
Snow followed with its threat of silence
as we traveled into storms; even storms did not want us.
