I walk past the next door neighbour in the park

but she doesn’t really want to talk nobody does anymore.

I get a bit closer to her and ask how she is doing.

She looks very worried as she pushes her young son into the sky on the swing.

We chat for a bit

and as I walk away her son says goodbye and I say goodbye to him.

Only the next day do I think it is safer to say see you later now

after all

goodbye really could mean goodbye forever.

                                                                   ~ Marc Carver

                                                                         Basingstoke, UK