Rome: In the Café
by James Laughlin

She comes at eleven every morning
to meet a man who makes her cry

they sit at a table in the back row
talking very earnestly and soon

she begins to cry he holds her
her hand and reasons with her & she

tries to smile when he leaves
her then she cries again and

orders a brandy and gulps it
down then she makes her face

new and goes home yes I think
that she knows that I come just

to watch her and wait for the day
when he does not come at all.