Death In Dubrovnik

you dispense with direct emotion/
experience & become the second
person the observer – it’s safer
here you see & as for your reader
well she’s gone her own way she’ll
meet you later in the old town –
for now be content to sit & watch
as tourists wait impatiently for
their boat to arrive a three island
cruise you suppose – it’s late & the
harried salesgirl repeats in three
or four languages – one more hour
seven more minutes five more now –
then someone challenges her in
italian – that was ten minutes ago!

she raises her hand as if to hit
the sky & the frenchman looks at
his poor tired beaten wife –
at his command she rises – he
flashes his ticket at the brown
girl & demands the expected – a
refund & while she’s off to fetch it
you see the sad look in that
french woman’s eyes the impatience
in her husband’s & sensing some
small part of yourself there you
close your eyes to the beautiful
adriatic sparkle & sunshine &
for just that moment in your
shame you cry & you want to die