She smoldered,
staring off into the space above my head
out the window of the bar, into the street
She pontificated,
sharing her opinions on politics, religion and literature,
speaking loud enough that other patrons were sure to hear,
yet never turning her head to give them
the satisfaction of a glance.
She smoked a thin cigar
blowing smoke rings,
slow grey circles that drifted from her lips toward the ceiling,
trial balloons waiting for pins.