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I waited for you there, you know?

On the bridge, over a canal that sneaks towards the Western Tower

I’ve seen this picture before

It seems like it’s on every camera ever invented

You can’t take a bad photo of it, even if you tried.

It’s a colourful day, almost too colourful, too vibrant.

I prefer the black and white images myself

It reminds me of the old days, before I was born, as if everything was black and white before I came to be, then came colour.

The truth is they weren’t black and white at all, they were mostly grey

Is that just me bringing it down to my dark place?

The place where I smash my half empty glass against the wall

I do that, sometimes

don’t we all?

 

I got here early today, you know?

I didn’t want to miss you

Maybe you could’ve got here early too

We could spend more time together

We need that

We need time to be as we were, once

 

I waited for a long time, you know?

As the clock on the tower ticked, minute by minute

Getting ever closer to the time we agreed to meet

When it was planned, I was happy and conent

But not for long

I sensed that you weren’t as excited as I was

It was a nod, a pause and an OK

Still the clock ticks

When the hands of the clock in the distance struck 12:00

They struck me to the ground

Like a boxer who’d been hit one too many times

I didn’t want to get up, I was too scared to get up

If I didn’t see you I’d be hit again

But you weren’t there

Firstly I’d scan the crowds of people of your height, your hair colour, your swagger

Then, after a while I could not eliminate anyone

They all could’ve been you

Small children, old people from the days of black and white

Then it was anything that moved

Until finally I mistook a mailbox for you, just from the corner of my eye

 

I was embarrassed to stand there, you know?

I thought everyone would look at me and know

It would make sense to them

Who would want to be near this person?

With bloodshot eyes and turned down mouth

It wasn’t meant to be like this

I don’t look like this, normally

I don’t normally feel like this

As the day dragged it and me along so painfully slowly my head dropped

As if the weight of recognition pulled and pushed it down

That you weren’t coming

I turned hollow and angered at the same time

I gripped the rail as hard as I could

The impression of my hand will be there until this bridge crumbles and sneaks towards the Western Tower

 

You didn’t break me, you know

Nor did I break myself

And I will be here until this bridge crumbles and sneaks towards the Western Tower