日班之后--洛厄尔.斋戈尔

她停下来买食品杂货。
她的雪地靴在走道里
各处晃动，这间冷清的商店：
数个打包安防商品的小男工
在罐头食品箱之间混日子，
一位困倦的收银员在钱柜那里。

停车场里，一位上了年纪的男人
站在他的轿车外面喃喃自语，
四扇门全都大敞着，猛然灌进
雨雪和冰。她问他，你还好吗？
他穿着睡裤，撕破的拖鞋，
皱巴巴的运动外套，戴着编织的羊毛帽。

说，他正在等妻子。
我刚在那边的付费电话里和她讲过话。
他指着可乐机。什么样的付费电话？
她问。那个，他说。
太冷了，她说，护送着他进入里面。

不要闪着灯鸣着笛来，
她告诉9-1-1调度员。
你们会吓着他。

他们站在一起。收银员
给他拿来一杯咖啡。
他们谈论着这场雪。
好多的雪啊

他们留意着警察。
今夜，黑如任何夜晚，
或者有点不那么黑。
She’s stopped to shop for groceries.
Her snow boots sloshing
up and down the aisles, the store
deserted: couple stock boys
droning through cases of canned goods,
one sleepy checker at the till.

In the parking lot, an elderly man
stands mumbling outside his sedan,
all four doors wide to gusting sleet
and ice. She asks him, Are you okay?
He’s wearing pajama pants, torn slippers,
rumpled sport coat, knit wool hat.

Says he’s waiting for his wife.
I just talked to her on the payphone
over there. He’s pointing at
the Coke machine. What payphone?
she says. That one, he says.
It’s cold, she says, and escorts him inside.

Don’t come with lights
and sirens, she tells the 9-1-1
dispatcher. You’ll scare him.

They stand together. The checker
brings him a cup of coffee.
They talk about the snow.
So much snow.

They watch for the cop.
This night, black as any night,
or a bit less so.
“After Second Shift” by Lowell Jaeger from Or Maybe I Drift Off Alone. © Shabda Press, 2016. Reprinted with permission.