Nobody sits alone on the Seine,
A fact that’s unfortunately true
Of the twos and the threes and the fours and the tens,
And then me, who’s alone, but with you
You crouch beneath benches that I sit upon
You swim through the waters I paint
As I walk through the streets, you don’t stay for long
But by river, your form lies in wait
I remember, one time, when we came to the Seine,
I, nineteen, you, twenty and bold,
We looked like a painting that I bought that day
When the air didn’t feel quite so cold
But now I am here and your ghost is beside
The shoulder that still wears your coat,
If I look close enough, then I think I can find
The heart and initials we wrote
Yes, nobody sits alone on the Seine
I am watching the twos and the threes
Then I look to the river and whisper to you
“Bonjour, tu me manques, mon ami”
Emma Paolini is from Medford, New Jersey and attends Merion Mercy Academy. She enjoys reading, writing, and edits for her school’s literary magazine.