That day it clicked - someone got my life by
accident or design, was living it
in a house I saw from the London train.
I was surprised to see the house was new
on a cul-de-sac of other houses
just the same but inside I knew the floors
to be of reclaimed pine, sanded to sheen
walls painted pale and cool but lit by warmth
from lamps. I hadn't thought to have quite that
minimalist life then saw her framed in
the front door's light, arms folded, looking out
and on the drive, he'd just arrived from work
was fooling with the kids and a brown dog
in playful posture lay on the neatness
of the lawn. Did she suspect her theft and
did he wake some nights from dreams that made him
find something amiss in the angle of
her jaw or the way her hair fell across
the pillow instead of mine
