The same young couple passes
me in the street
every four or five days.
I smile at her and nod.
She smiles back
with a sideways glance
the way only young women can smile.
No promises. No invitations.
Just a species of kindness
soft enough to misinterpret.
When I smile at him
he does not smile back.
He makes his mouth small
and he makes his face hard
like he imagines killers do.

# # #

DF Paul is a writer living in the Midwestern United States. His most recent work has appeared in The Perch. He has never been a particularly good salesman. dfpaul.wordpress.com

Photo: ahmed zid