on the bed, an elfin woman named Jayne
naked, knees flexed, face wet;
she's clasping the red quilt under her chin
same room, different woman
this one an Amazonian blonde,
nude, bar an open kimono
leaning on the doorframe, smoking
holding a sake cup, leering.
leap forward to midday next
to Jayne, this time on the main street; a blonde in black silk passes,
not that other woman but someone with a passing similarity
jayne is paralysed, heart frantic, pushed about by the lunch time crowds
and her purse falls and bursts, spurting coins all over the pavement
hysterical, Jayne struggles to scrape them up, breaking a nail
and she tastes her tears before she realises she's weeping.