John watched Elaine
get off
the school bus
with her sister

he looked to see
if she looked up
at him before
the bus went off

his insides were tight
wondering if
she would
not wanting her

to look away
or ignore him
and the fact
that not long before

she had looked over
from her side
of the bus
and they'd stared

at each other
and she had blushed
for some reason
and he had stared

wondering if
she would turn
and look again
but she didn't

and he kept
looking over
but she didn't
look back

the bus began
to drive away
and at the last moment
she looked up

and she stared at him
and he was sure
she began to smile
but he couldn't be sure

and then
she was gone
and hedgerows came
and fields and houses

and then
just fields
and hedges
and trees

and he looked
at his hands
in his lap
and tried not

to listened
to what Trevor
was saying
about football

and how he nearly
scored at lunch time
John tried to hold on
to her face

at that moment
and the maybe smile
he was sure
he'd seen

and the fields
passed by
all was flowing by
like a sea of green.