table

he sat at a table, his back to space

he waited for the girl
who wrote the book

that held the secrets
of his past lives.

she entered with the captain.

the man at the table stood up,
shook her hand,
and offered to buy her tea.

he watched as she drank
from the small tea cup

and ate jammie dodgers.

he told her about his memories,
and about the book he thinks she wrote.

she did not reply.

frustrated he asked her,
"did you write the book or not?"

to which she stood up,
clearing the crumbs from her lap

and answered, "yes, hugh,
but i wrote it in another lifetime."

she left without looking back,
and she never said thank you

for the tea and biscuits.