Ghosts

I saw you eyeing the café on Bleecker
French and expensive in its own way
be careful, I reasoned, you are fragile
you argued that I was kind but mistaken
still you let it go, that café of vegan
organic trestle tables too close
they will hear, I said, our fabled remorse
I led you, instead, to an all night place
called a coffee shop in my day
time followed me as it did you
you object, you are not a fool
I was young once, I say
and slide into a booth
you were young once too
in a different youth
we order breakfast after the fact
me indulgent, a soul cataract
still, in a way, on the prowl
Billy Joel rescues me as he did then
uptown girl samurai woman
begin again
they hover still closer to us
ghosts that betray the lingering rust
one fine day you put your fingers to ink
leave ghosts to protect you

catch a future glimpse
we walk into a hardware store
greeted with news on Radio 4
how can you say there is no difference
between god and godless
it all makes an imprint
these are our ghosts
who will meet anywhere
in anger or stress or simply in air
the signs are the bodies

the bodies the signs
make this universe yours
make this universe mine