At dawn, a railwaywoman  
  On a country platform whirls on the end of a chain  
  An irrelevant key, while a young guard makes to wipe  
  A crumb from her lapel; and see, she smiles  
  A permissory smile you take in from your corner seat:  
  A cameo of unrehearsed perfection.
The Old Flea-Pit (1987).











