When grandmother
fell in love
for the third time
there were months
of perfectly planned
coincidences

once his cuff link
fell into the river

once he whistled
adeline

and because she could not
disconnect
time and meaning

events evolved to
cold pure words

written on a photograph
in black and white

of grandmother's third love
standing near
what's left of
table rock

looking past
the fog of the falls
to the american side

thinking of departure

Source: Urquhart, Jane. False Shuffles. Victoria: Press Porcépic, 1982. Section entitled The Undertaker's Bride.

View this poem on the Niagara Falls Poetry Project website