The First Time

We met as autumn danced crisply in dappled light
And winter's cold fingers slowly grasped the teatime air
The first bitter night of the season.

I wore my little black dress
Then added a cardigan, scarf and hat
Vaguely embarrassed as always at dressing up.
Choked with nerves, I spotted you through the café window
Your shaven head bowed and slightly serious
Reading something.
Why did I go up to the glass and knock
As if you were an old friend
And this was just a chance to catch up,
A comfortable moment in two busy lives?
It's too easy to say now
That I felt an instant pull
A calm, unerring connection
A strange sense of relief and knowledge
But perhaps I did.

And as the seasons turn again
These feelings remain
Your bowed head glimpsed through glass
An indelible memory.