Follow the concrete

Follow the concrete

Scattered with chewing gum plaques shaped like broken kisses

Kick a cider can

And watch the flat golden liquid

Spray across the wall

Something smashes in the distance

And someone screams

But nobody turns

Nothing we haven’t seen before

Shopping bags hang from un-kept trees

They float and whisper

But stay to their spot

Almost too scared to leave

Someone loves someone

Helpfully informed in fading graffiti

Which will last longer?

People or a permanent marker?

Don’t worry, reopening soon

A sign catches damp

In the window of an empty shop

Moulding at the frames

Cracked paint

The only customers here are dust and spiders

Nothing we haven’t seen before

Buses belch and stretch and complain

Past

Whilst

Smoke spits out the back

To dance with the mist and rain

An old woman holds onto her shopping for dear life

And her life barely clutches onto her

From beneath

A shelter

Advertising something I can’t afford

And don’t need

A great crack is in a window

Taped now for safety

Someone somewhere is proud with broken knuckles

Nothing we haven’t seen before

A child in a covered buggy

Screams and cries

You can’t see its face

Just its’ thrashing hands

Against steamed plastic

There is a line for five cash machines

And a charity worker set poised and keen

A man

With plastic claws

Grabs at litter

Whilst seagulls fight over a packet the man missed

A beggar asks for spare change

I lie

But offer him a cigarette

Which he takes gratefully

And I light

Cheers

God bless

No bother

Back to the rain, noise and old granite

Nothing we haven’t seen before.