Hello, Stranger

She's a picture of confidence
In tight jeans and
A bright red coat
With her hair tied back
So as not to hide her face,
Jaw tight and lips pursed
As she holds up a magazine,
Reading it at shoulder height
With a slight hint of a smile,
One of only a small number
Of lone travellers
On a train of twos and threes,
Four rows ahead and
Facing back towards me
On the opposite side
Of the pale carriage,
And I'm sure she knows
I'm staring out the window
So as not to meet her gaze.