Leaving the Country


Too suddenly over the park came evening to tinge a straggle of clouds and bring fresh intensities to the still green trees.
Economic migrants in need of the money, no sooner were we handed our papers than, yes, it was time to be leaving.
Nor did you think it all that funny being down on the form as an immigrant, an immigrant into your home town.
But at departure gates, swarming with police, some passengers appeared to be in custody.
Slow off the mark, it was only then I noticed their flights for Tirana and Bucharest.
Beside the duty-free fashion emporia these passengers were not so well turned-out.
The last we saw of those people without papers, as our bus for the Gatwick plane passed by, they were being boarded on Russian-built jets.
Already, already the immigrants were leaving.