The Survivor
Face-sized leaves on the plane trees. The girls hold them up coquettishly Like fans while their suitors pretend not to Look at them. They stand at the far end Of the garden, trying to get drunk On champagne. Bay next summer, nearly All of them will be dead, all save One, who will come back and sit With them in the shade of these trees And say very little, and say even less About the war, and though none of The girls are in love with him now, All of them will be in love with him then.