hallucination

the tea was warm and delicious on the tongue

"let me play an album" she said on a spontaneous

moment in mid speech

the lights were low and there was a single large vanilla

candle burning on the mantle

the needle dropped

the hiss began clicking with dust

Bryan Ferry’s "Avalon" begun to play

my truck was framed by the streetlight

outside

"So do you like it?" she asked hesitantly

"Yes..I used to own this album in fact.. its one of my

 favourites!"  in this i was not lying

she sat down and in doing so our legs rubbed up

against one another   in fact her right foot was

touching my lower leg

(i didnt move away)

"what time was your meeting supposed to be over??" she

asked quizzically

i breathed deeply   exhaled and told her

"so..shes not expecting you right away then…"

birds were just starting to chirp in the thick blackness

of morning when i shifted into reverse and backed

out on the street

nineteen miles to go

..O..