I take a short walk
To StarBucks for a caffeine fix
Three sugars for luck
And a chat with a big guy

Kicking rubbish soon after
I spied a pigeon
Rummaging around
looking for scraps
I felt similar
That is small and shabby
Unloved, unnoticed
Hungry

So I went into A Sandwich Bar
Called Reggie's Big Rolls
To order a Tuna mayonnaise baguette
Which was nice

Then I saw you
A picture from the Sunday Supplement
Radiant advert for hair colouring
Heartstopper
I remembered you from St Nicholas School
We had taught there in '86
You certainly had weathered better than I
So I sidled up and mentioned that fact

Shocked, you turned round
I could see you were vunerable
I could win this lottery ticket
The thought was instant
An instant win
No publicity
More caffeine and successful chatter
Promises to meet in the near future

The wind and rain had let you off
But your soul was mildly dehydrated
Wrinkling your smile
You were not so sure of the right way
So in the next few days I shed my trampish skin
And dolled myself up
In suits and suede shoes
Practising ordering exotic cocktails

You really turned me around

And the rest is history
Now you sit here in your thick white jumper
With a hot mug of coffee
And Spongebob Squarepants on for the kids