the mild stranger's story

by

Carol Bergé

     he brings me here, where

     they meet,       embrace

     drylipped,         these

     who have been     tender

     flesh of one flesh, over

     years, into     children:

     their divorce final from

     their rooms, dreams, the

     children, odd-eyed, here

     from grandmother's farm.

     the visit:       couples:

     her new man lives there,

     has grey hair.  as do i,

     watching,        outside

     the eyes of all of them:

     the children, the others.