That pair in the corner,
They're here every Tuesday
They come when the market first opens its stalls.
And it's got so that lately
I'll wait just to see them
Their heads bent together,
As they come down the hall.
And her hair has grown whiter
His has grown thinner
And their pace has slowed down,
As the years have grown long
But they keep step together
Amongst strangers who hurry,
These two old companions,
Walking slowly along.
They always take the same table
And they open their menus,
And I watch as his hand stretches out to touch hers,
And she, with the other, reaches under her chair,
And fumbles her glasses from out of her purse.
And she reads him the specials,
He does the ordering,
They joke with the waitress, about watching their weight
But the waitress says nothing, she just snaps her gum
And then brings their dessert,
That they'll share from one plate.
Sometimes I watch them too closely,
They notice me staring
And they smile at me vaguely,
Not really seeing my face
But they know I'm a stranger,
Not one of their friends
Who have died, or long since
Moved away from this place.
They keep to themselves
They're each other's shelter,
Two hearts grown together,
Two parts of a whole
And I smile at them shyly,
I know I intrude, on this pair of old lovers,
And I turn and I go.
But, you know that I've seen them
As they leave the cafe,
He pull out her chair,
And he helps her to stand
And he holds out her coat,
And he hugs it around her
And together they leave
Holding each other's hand.
And there's a love beyond words
In their every small gesture,
As the two old companions make their way through the town
A love beyond name, beyond years, beyond measure
And the days that they share
Are the stars in their crown.
