Lights up, low, on a stage.
Long benches, some people seated
here and there, some with bags.
No talking. Enter, stage left,
the couple, young
but not too young, race
unimportant, but he
should be bearded and her hair
should be long. Make them
the same height. Make them stand
too close while she negotiates the purchase
of a one-way ticket in a foreign language, but he's
the one with the backpack. She hands him
the ticket and they move to a bench.
They have not spoken to each other yet.
She opens
a small plastic shopping bag,
pulls out leftover pizza.
They eat in silence
but hold hands
on top of his knee. They are
conspicuous in the way
that they are avoiding
looking anywhere else
but those hands. Like they know
what it means. Off stage we hear
a long bell, an announcement, and the hands
fall apart. The couple stands. The onlookers
look on as we remember
the gun in the first act, when she declared
her categorical opposition
to public displays and we watch as
without hesitation her arms are now
around his neck and she's kissing him kissing
him kissing him like those kisses could speak
every word she just chased
with the pizza.
She pushes the rest of it in the shopping bag
into his hands. As he goes to board,
we watch in awe, wondering
how long one person
can go without blinking. He rounds
the corner.
Lights down.
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