I grab my coat and bid farewell
to friends, the old and new.
A handshake, a kiss; I know which I’ll miss,
“Till next time! I’ll see you all soon.”

I step outside and into the face
of cool refreshing night air.
It’s clear but it bites, compared with inside;
the smoke still clings to my hair.

I join the trickle of homebound people,
their pace no quicker than mine;
theirs and my train are one and the same,
and we’re gifted with plenty of time.

I embrace the ocean of light that awaits me.
Though empty, the station’s still lit,
and there she lies, so silent yet primed;
climbing aboard, I choose where to sit.

I stare, for a moment, out through the glass
and watch as the streetlamps whizz by.
Against the cool dark, they all look like stars;
I’m a rocket, touring the sky.

I flinch in the flickering light that awaits me,
and stumble down steps in the gloom.
The path to my home, I walk it alone.
Till next time, and may it be soon.