Canal

There is a place I like to go
During lunch breaks
Down by the canal

I take my ukulele there to practice
And I like how my playing sounds
Echoing off the nearby buildings
Hardly anyone is around
And I can my mistakes without being embarrassed

One day there is a couple
Sitting on the opposite bank of the canal
They are talking but I cannot hear them
Because they are too far away
But they do not look happy

I try to continue practicing
And they seem not to notice
They talk some more and I realize
They’re looking away from each other
While speaking

Eventually one of them gets up
And walks away while the other
Continues to sit staring at the
Still water of the canal

She rests her face in her hands
And looks as if she is sobbing
By now I can’t continue practicing
So I quietly leave–

On my next lunch break
When I sit down by the canal
I cannot play my ukulele
I just sit and stare at the empty bench
Where the couple sat the other day

When my break is over
I decide
To never come back