The departure board flickers blue
Half the letters fade, then return
A paper cup sits on the bench between us
Giving off its last bit of warmth
Your suitcase stands beside your shoe
One wheel turning when the floor shakes
Someone folds a newspaper nearby
The station settles into midnight
The train waits under the platform lights
Silver against the rain

A voice comes through the speakers
Too distant to make out every word
We both look toward the tracks
At the same time

The last train to midtown
Leaves slower than I remember
The last train to midtown
Takes its time with the dark
Sometimes nothing breaks
Sometimes nobody leaves a scar
Sometimes nobody fails
And still two lives grow apart
The last train to midtown
Waiting under the lights

You smile at something neither of us says
And smooth a crease from your sleeve
The coffee kiosk closes for the night
Chairs turned upside down inside
A teenager sleeps against a backpack
A cleaner moves across the floor
The station clock keeps perfect time
As if it knows what's coming
Your ticket rests between your fingers
Folded at the corner twice

We gave each other everything
That season asked us to give
No missing call
No slammed door
No reason to forgive
Some stories reach the station
Exactly when they should
Not every ending arrives damaged
Some arrive understood

The last train to midtown
Leaves slower than I remember
The last train to midtown
Takes its time with the dark
Sometimes nothing breaks
Sometimes nobody leaves a scar
Sometimes nobody fails
And still two lives grow apart
The last train to midtown
Waiting under the lights

The doors close without a sound
The platform empties piece by piece
A paper cup on the bench
And a train moving slowly into the dark