Couples In Repose


An elderly couple sit together on the train
Two gray-haired individuals
It’d be hard to tell them apart from behind
That must be the way it goes
When two people grow old together
Mr. And Mrs. Potato Head
Sharing clothes, exchanging bulbous noses, pinched lips
Beady eyes, stringy hair and stiff knees
Still looking like the same person
Making the same sounds, smelling of familiar memories
Imagine how comforting that can be
Sitting across yourself, looking back at yourself, talking to yourself
Shuttling toward some unknown destination

A glass pane in the car ahead
Frames a young couple’s faces
She seeks out the crook of his neck
To rest her content and pleasure
Absently massaging his face

Two couples in repose
Like parrots chosen for life
Reincarnated reflections of each other
One an image of today
The other a flash from the past


Wed, 10-28-98, Metro Ride to Bethesda, Maryland