How to End a Romance

Snow has a way of falling
Gently when the woman makes up
Her mind, and it was doing that,
Dusting her hair as he hoped
To see it in the later years:
Silvery. They were sitting
By a salt river, having a say
About love. He leaned toward her,
But she shifted on the bench,

Lit a smoke. As I said, snow
Was falling, and now smoke
Rose between them. Don’t forget
Breath. Breath is important
In a romance. They could barely see
Each other: snow, smoke, breath.
And the man wore glasses, to make
Matters worse. They were fogging up
In the cold, and his face was raw.