A Haunting in Canada

You look like you’ve seen a ghost.

I met her in Ontario

though she hailed from Edmonton, Alberta

the “Texas of Canada”

she said.

Whatever that meant.

I thought these were pretty bold words for someone

who’d never even visited Texas.

We talked some hockey

and I explained to her why

I preferred Mark Messier to Wayne Gretzky.

Then she kissed me for the first time

both surprising and delighting me.

By then I was properly intrigued

and it wouldn’t take much more

to get me to extend my stay an extra couple of days.

Edward Austin Robertson