Outside the rain was pouring down br As I sat all alone within the dirty cafe, br That offered me shelter, but little else. br I amused myself as I waited br By reading the badly spelt menu br That hung behind the counter br Scrawled in chalk upon the blackboard, br And felt I was back in school. br The mustard coloured walls br Were damp with condensation, br While the floor was a chessboard br And I was the pawn. br As I leaned upon the red-checked tablecloth br I noticed that it was stained with brown rings br From the teacups that had once resided there. br I moved the sugar dispenser a little to the left br In order to hide the worst, br But I could not hide them all. br And still I waited, br As the silver raindrops br Ran slowly down the steamed up window pane, br That masked the view of the High Street, br So I could not see the row of empty shops that stood opposite, br Yet I knew that they were there. br So instead, br I listened to the sound of the bacon br As it sizzled within the frying pan, br And hoped it wouldn't take much longer to cook.