Beautiful William

Beautiful William, one morning in May, in a
milk-white convertable drove slowly away.
Beautiful William with curling black hair, gold
rings on his fingers as he held to the wheel.
Was he given a package by a man on the train?
We found his car by the roadside later that day.
Mirrored sunglasses, roses and wine laid on
the empty seat as he slowly drove by.
He left his lights burning. He left his perfect lawn,
his automatic sprinklers
about to switch on.
Did he find a black glove on the cliffs
by the bay? Why would he leave us,
why would he leave us this way?
He drove through the town with a smile
on his face, waving to everyone as he
went on his way. Polly from Red River,
Rose from Green Falls, they drove to his
house and they lay on the lawn.
Was he stopped in the airport by a man
with a cane? We found his car by the
roadside later that day.
Rose smashed his windows till the glass
was all gone. Polly broke the back door
and she screamed down the hall.
No answer sounded but wind flying
through as we tore up the green lawn
and torched all the rooms.
Did he find a white glove in the pines by
the lake? Why would he leave us, why
would he leave us this way?