On A Railway Platform Poem by Alessandra Liverani

As I walked up the stairs, I could tell
Someone was smoking, by the unmistakeable smell
Politely I told her that this was not allowed
She surveyed me through the noxious cloud

Trains give off fumes, so why can't I
'Is that your logic? ' I responded to her gritty try
What can you do, can you give me a ticket?
'No I can't'. She thought she had taken my wicket

'Oh you're desperate', she jeered, relishing an easy win
But then my response put her head into a spin
'You pay money in order to inhale noxious smoke'
'And you're calling me desperate', were the words I spoke

A few seconds ago she'd seemed so tough
Now she couldn't stub it out quickly enough
Maybe this brief comment had cleared her head
And she'd decided to breathe in fresh air instead

(Sydney, Australia - 2008)