he watches her go
and starts to follow
but stops himself
sure that whatever he has to say
has already been said
whatever steps he’s going to take
have already been taken
he thinks about the sound
his footfalls would make
a slapping on the pavement
hurrying to overtake her own
shorter, insistent steps
thinks about how everyone
will stare
and wonder what it is
that he did
because she is the one
storming away
and before she can get any smaller
diminish any more
as she attempts
to merge with the horizon
he runs
Words and Feathers 