Eventually
they found themselves at breakfast
silence spreading like warm milk,
toast like tissues
folded into pockets
on the way to work,
he realised first
and swallowed it with spit
before the tube reached Wellington.
It took her longer
nusling taffeta and tulle for affection
shrugging off ribbon wrapped sales assistants
her pink skin in pleats above her jeans
her fingers
faltering at flies.
