He's wearing brothel creepers
crepe soled, blue
and sitting with discarded newspapers and early morning
restless sleepers.

tube trains for my pains
are interesting places,
happy? smiling?
nah
tired and worn out people hiding behind tireder and even more worn out faces
going to or coming to the end of where they're going.

she's got a shopping bag, a suitcase and she holds a half smoked *** in the fingers of a liver spotted hand
a wedding band above the knuckle,
it looks as old as her.

I never got a seat
but it gives me time
to stand and maybe
stare at oddities strewn
here or sometimes where
you least expect.

Brothel creepers,
not seen them since
the sixties
thought they'd died along
with winkle pickers

There's always a laugh
when you look for one.

I'm looking for the way out
and
that's a laugh too.