Trains

she sat on the end of the bed

smoking a borrowed cigarette

her bra lay beside her

he held the drapes open with one hand

watching the buildings surrounding them

she sighed and stirred at the 

mustard carpet with her foot

what he asked without looking back

nothing she said

he lit a cigarette watching police

talk to some teenagers

on the street below

after a time she said do you drive 

from city to city she asked him that

i don’t drive was all he said

after a time she said how do

you get from city to city then

she asked him that also

train was all he said

she watched him in the mirror

isn’t that expensive she asked him

and he kept smoking and said yeah

he didn’t turn his eyes didn’t move

he watched the street and didn’t turn

a pinching biting burning made her 

drop her cigarette to the mustard

carpet but he didn’t notice and didn’t turn

after a time she said i used to love taking trains

when i was a kid with my mum she watched

his face but he didn’t turn and didn’t respond

it was sort of fancy i thought she said and laughed

once but it sort of caught in her throat

he watched the street and she watched him

in the mirror she watched his reflection

if he turned to look at her it would appear

she was looking elsewhere away

but he didn’t turn he kept staring and watching

she said i loved when we would get dinner

not much of a dinner mind you

turkey sandwich a coke and and something else

but i can’t remember what she said and scratched

at her neck she almost added a laugh but thought better of that

without looking he said mm hmm and took a drag

she said and the announcer would speak in english

and in french which i also thought was pretty fancy

he didn’t turn but he almost looked her way

he said are you from canada and she nodded

and then added yes when she realized he 

could not see her from his angle

she said from windsor

this time he turned where is that

is it near toronto

she said no across the border

from detroit

he turned back to the window

oh was all he said

she watched him smoke and

considered asking for another cigarette

but decided against it

after a time she said my mum would

always give me the window seat

i liked the towns the best because

you saw the parts nobody was supposed

to see the backs of the towns

graffiti and rude drawings and all that stuff

she kept talking my mum would always read

i didn’t know how she could read

all the things to see fields silos backs of towns

and the best thing about taking a train she said

then she stopped you’re not even listening

so what does it matter she said

i’m listening he said but he didn’t turn

and he didn’t look he just took another drag

i don’t think you are she said

he said i am

she said you say that but i don’t think you are

he sighed smoke at the window and shot her

a glance you said you liked the backs of buildings

she stirred the mustard carpet again

she said that wasn’t the last thing i said

a louder sigh an uglier sigh

then what he said what was it you said last

a breath escaped her lips i don’t

remember now she said

he turned and looked at her

he stared straight at her

if you don’t even remember how 

do you expect me to

she scrunched carpet between her toes

and held it tightly her feet became fists

look she said if you want me to shut up

just say so she said

he turned back to the window and said fine

after a time she asked what

shut up then he said

she slipped on her bra and snapped it together

he lit another cigarette and watched the police

turn on their red and blue lights

she scratched at the side of her face and then 

under her eye

cheese and crackers she said after a long silence

he turned halfway what he asked

cheese and crackers she said staring him 

in the eye that was the other thing they

served on the train with dinner

he turned back to the window

he said oh