Paths of Convenience

 

I didn’t drink yesterday

Or the day before

No-one can say I haven’t tried

So I’m allowed to drink tonight

The evening shifts around me

Bright yellow ribbons

Light through a smeared lens

The people around have that look in their eyes

That says I’m talking too loud

And making too little sense

And I know, I know

I’m overcompensating for something

That I get less considerate as the night draws on

That I planted in shallow soil

And now the crops are all failing

A lad with bad hair is at the bar

And he’s depressed, maybe

Or just thinking hard

Like Spock trying to mind meld with himself

His fingers digging into his face, drilling holes

Perhaps he’s a poet

Or perhaps it’s a pose

And there’s a girl who’s missed her calling

As a kid’s TV presenter

And her mates all seem to respect her

Despite the lack of self knowledge

And the mindset that hasn’t moved on 

Since she finally found some people who’d listen

Back at college

Every one of these people a careful collection

Of well rehearsed quirks 

And paths of convenience through social convention

And part of me knows that’s not all they are

But I’ve got to find somewhere to stand

And I’ve no other plan

And nothing else works

I make a mental note

To write this all down

A note that will be lost 

In a wind that will scatter the leaves

As I order another drink

And let it all bleed in

The merry go round

The lights and the music

And the slow constant spin

Of another lost evening