BRIEF ENCOUNTER By Sue Turner
We knew you were leaving
So, we gathered at the railway station
For the family farewell.
The damp October air unsettled our skin, and made us fidget
While we waited for that train to arrive.
A voice from a speaker advised of the delay
So, as we waited, we reminisced all the long journeys
We had made together.
Coming down from Scotland on a night train.
The carriage became our home and the seats, our beds.
The long journey in the car
All the way from Bodmin to Ealing
With a goldfish on our lap.
An epic journey down under on the plane
To see stingrays, sharks and Sydney Harbour Bridge.
And as we remembered
A sound of an airplane ploughed through the sky
It’s vapour trail seemed to wave goodbye.
We knew you were travelling light
So, we carried your bags.
They seemed weightless and free.
You had done a good job of packing.
You looked very elegant as you stepped on the train.
Like a scene from Brief Encounter
Sue Turner
20th November 2020