Discarded book

Joseph spoke of a fight,
a tussle between two lovers
who could not live together
but could not be apart.

Hannah saw a reunion,
a sophisticated woman,
leaping from her seat
in delight at seeing her man.

For me it was just sadness,
the kind that eats at your soul
and dims the light of day
leaving no room for hope.

Christian thought no such thing,
seeing only forgetfulness,
a projection of his own trait
onto an unknown stranger.

The truth, of course, we'll never know.
Those forgotten pages lay open
but remain closed:
the story they tell is not their own.