Happenstance of happened chance
meting you in - of all places -
a shopping mall

me, broke and somewhat broken,
myself the only credit to the credit cards
I can’t have

An opportunity afforded us at an inopportune moment
seeing you bleary eyed none the less
your scent drawn intense
me, smelling mostly from my nose
no haircut as yet, barely bathed
weeks of laundry piled in corners of darkened rooms

Heading toward leaning forward
to greet you as I thought I ought
forehead to forehead
having to all but chase you down the hallway
to simply hold your hand
wondering once again if it were you
or a mirage of someone I’d met
months ago

Kissing your fictitious kisses
there on the street for no one to see
perhaps that’s why there are so many alley ways
in this frozen town
too many couples like us with too many,
far too many complex issues,
too many to talk about some times
I realized then
we were talking on the street or talking in a mall or talking in a bowling alley
that’s all we’re ever seen to do

and I’m not sure you want to talk about it at all.