You were young and beautiful,

the long red hair, dyed

but not vibrant, not outlandish

or gaudy, just beautiful

which matched your eyes

in a playful, yet stern like feature, a Cleopatra

as she maintained order and brought

generals and leaders to their quivering knees;

you were beautiful and for a while

I was lost in your young eyes

dancing in alert fashion

on the way to Waterloo.

It was only as I went to leave

the bus that I noticed the old man,