-untitled which becomes the title-

vignette 1.

she smokes a long cigarette at the counter and orders coffee.

she has white cotton gloves on her hands, wrist high
which she doesn’t remove.
a bracelet decorates the left-hand glove, too many baubles 
for the lunch counter at the "5 & Dime". 

he’s late.
now he's too late.

his wife has uncovered what’s what.

vignette 2.

our lady of the pillbox hat

smeared in the blood of man,
sips coffee, takes a puff and stares without interest

at the wall of the endless menu behind the counter.
she tamps the butt out with a heavy hand.
the cork tip is rung in a taught, violent red.
she's no shrinking violet, this one.
a hard-hearted Hannah like the Vamp of Savannah, she is.
she longs for another drag, but it's too late for that, too.
one more errand to run, and then
she'll hitchhike to Hyannis Port for tea and sympathy.