He drives across town to a room
On Rainbow Hill
And sits in the car for a while
Staring at the raindrops on the windscreen
Which look like tiny planets in the darkness
And he feels like an astronaut
Weightless, about to take his first moon walk
But wishing he was tucked up safe in bed.
Then he goes inside, climbs the green stair carpet
Past the Torvil and Dean poster which says
\'Let\'s face the music\'
But does not mention any dancing,
And he comes to a door marked two
And is surprised when his key fits
But not that it is cold and dark
And smells stale
From the cigarettes downstairs.
Then he rolls a mattress and some blankets
On the floor
And blocks up the fireplace with a blue
Flowery eiderdown
To give the spiders something to think about
And he takes his toothbrush and soap
Into the bathroom
And drops the towel on the floor
And trips over it in his muddy shoes.
Then he gets undressed and finds a place
To put his clothes
On a chair in the corner
And turns out the light and stands
At the window as if she might
Walk past at any moment perhaps lost and going
The wrong way down the street.
Then he lies awake wondering when the street light
Goes out, just as it does
And he hears people talking loudly
Coming up from the takeaway
On their way home
And then the wind and the rain
And a distant train coming
Straight towards him
Then veering off at the last moment.