The Walk

She walked through crowded streets,

paused by the restaurant,

lingered by the jewellers,

prayed in the church,

pushed an empty swing

in the playground, 

ran her hand along the gates

of the primary school,

stepped briskly past the teenagers

smoking by the comprehensive.

Wept on the bench, 

nodded to the ladies in the charity shop

where she dumped his clothes,

took deep breaths crossing the stile

and smiled at the empty fields.