Untidy Towns

First things first: I have a happy secret
The next bit’s worse
I intend to keep it that way
I can’t remember the last word spoken
I got some mail I didn’t open
It’s an un-read letter day

I know both of us are poor
But baby what are phone bills for

When it’s not raining
All these streets are filled with students
But you won’t catch me complaining it’s a nuisance
It’s useless I know

A storm rolls across the suburbs
And the streets are as empty as the cupboards
But for the boy most likely
And the girl most lovely

Given time I could get tired of all this sleeping
The days I’ve thrown away
And the hours that I am keeping
But for a while I’m fairly happy feeling hopeless
A somersault in a winter coat
I didn’t notice a thing

And I say it like it’s unrehearsed
But I said it in the bathroom first
“The boy most likely
And the girl most lovely”

The hedges and the hibiscus
As soon as she’s outside she says
“I grew up in the tidiest of towns”
Past the pub where my parents met
Resigning ourselves to modern architecture
Don’t let the barstools get you down