Vertical Observations Poem by Najib Altawell

She 'sat' in a hurry
On a reserved
Seat
On a train
Touching the
Side of
Her hair
Light brown
The colour
Of an old
Chocolate
Stain


‘This is my seat'
I said
‘Reserved to Dundee as
The ticket
Indicates'
‘Sorry' she said
Then rushed
To another place
Burying her face
Among the pages
Of her book
Pretending to read
While
Nervously
'Over lap'
Every page


The ‘glasses' frame
Dark, narrow
And squared
Touched
Again
And again
Then her fingers
‘Slide' slowly
Feeling the velvet of
A green jacket
Resting causally
On her white
Shirt


The golden chain
Round the neck
With animal figure
At the end
Resting comfortably
Within the gap
Between her breasts
Telling the story
Of a recent past
A gift from a lover
She named
‘Dirty rat'


That, of course, was
In the past
Claiming
As she was pretending
Reading
While
Blushing
Trying hard
To escape
A painful
Unforgettable
Track