Knowing I’m on the street

New stalking offences come into force

The Guardian, 26 November 2012

Tonight on the street where you live

I’m committing a crime

standing in this shadowy doorway

patiently watching first light creep down

the concrete tiles of your parents' semi.

This isn't the first time I've waited here

among the empty beer bottles

for first signs of your coming out,

the peachy backlight from your window,

a fleeting shadow mime over the blind

as you bend to straighten the sheets

or pull on a pair of tights,

your frosted image through the front door

as you pull through the morning paper

and reveal what colour you'll be wearing today

beneath your familiar blue raincoat

when you take your seat near the front

of the hourly bus into town

expecting to alight at your usual stop

and hoping today will be the day

something special happens in your life.

(c) 2012 Slush Poet