Meeting Natasha

Mercury falling,
Red dragon streak,
Ice-splinter
Piercing the heart.
Moscow crouched like a jaguar
Under the Amazon’s eyelids,
Sweating rainbows.
We sat in the café,
Opposite sides of the table,
Chess players plotting our moves
To the beat of the clock.
“Where is the sense?” she said,
“Where is the meaning?”
I stirred my tea
And stared into silence.
Her coat hung on the hook behind me,
A giant vampire bat
Dreaming upside-down,
And we talked,
We talked about life,
As if it was something we could change.