I know that smile,
what it means all the way
from the slightest shimmy
to the first itch,
like a reward,
you see,
an omen, a look
at what’s coming.
See you soon,
that’s what you’d say
in the margins
or wherever.
I’ve seen it myself
you know
and can’t be mistaken
every time.
Aimed right
it wouldn’t matter,
but sometimes
it clashes with
the music you played,
from the first rest to the coda,
words you had spoken once
and repeated with
subtle amendments
the second time through.
