Between two Nowheres
Hey, don’t I know you? You
went to school with me.
It’s nice to see you after
all these years.
What have you
been doing all this time?
Oh, me? I’ve been working
down the line.
Too early to stop, but
I can dream of long holidays
in France or Italy with all the seniors who
have their lump sums and just want
to live the life they fantasised
about all their days of
slog, sweat and stress
of life
in the rat race, competing and
failing but continued trying
to make a mark, be somebody.
He told me he was living in Ireland, near the Giants
causeway
I wondered what he did
over there, maybe he is a pop star.
But no,
he’s a joiner, working
for the local council
repairing houses by the score, lots of broken
double glazed doors
He’s always meant to
get back home to Glasgow town where he
comes from.
I thought that he seemed okay, for a boy from
school who didn’t say much,
to having the courage to leave
his home town for pastures new,
when here I am
having never left Old Glasgow Town.
I really knew nothing
about him, did I?
So really, how can I say to
him, come here, and he wants me to go there.
Basically between two nowheres.