Part XVI (i) and XVI (ii)

(There are two parts of Part XVI both dealing with our old, mysteries friend The Man in Black and an un-named character both leading to the end of the story slowly but surely) 

Part 16 (A)

Broken inside out

The man in black

Waited outside central library

Hands lined deep

Inside his pockets

Until he nearly gave up

And went home

Smoking cigarettes

Repeatingly in a broken loop

Until another man

Turned up

His face lined

Like a rowboat

Coughing frantically

Knowing that their meeting

Would affect

More than

Just a few lives.

Part 16 (B)

Lateness spilled

Across his broken words

Running down

Oxford Road

Dodging the traffic

Across the roadworks

That blocked his way

Constantly at every corner

And then across

The peace garden

Narrowly missing

Getting run down

By the tram

At least twice

Until his friend

Whose name he didn’t

Even know

Was about to go

And looked at him

Like he was going to kill him

When he said it had started

Earlier than expected

In the middle of the village.