The Day Before You Came
I must have left my house at eight
because I always do
my train, I’m certain
left the station just when it was due
I must have read the morning paper
going into town
and having gotten through the editorial
no doubt I must have frowned
I must have made my desk
around a quarter after nine
with letters to be read
and heaps of papers waiting to be signed
I must have gone to lunch
at half past twelve or so
the usual place, the usual bunch
and still on top of this
I’m pretty sure it must have rained
the day before you came
I must have lit my seventh
cigarette at half past two
and at the time I never
even noticed I was blue
I must have kept on dragging
through the business of the day
without really knowing anything
I hid a part of me away
at five I must have left
there’s no exception to the rule
a matter of routine
I’ve done it ever since I finished school
the train back home again
undoubtedly I must have
read the evening paper then
oh yes, I’m sure my life was
well within its usual frame
the day before you came
I must have opened my front door
at eight o’clock or so
and stopped along the way
to buy some Chinese food to go
I’m sure I had my dinner
watching something on TV
there’s not, I think, a single
episode of Dallas that I didn’t see
I must have gone to bed
around a quarter after ten
I need a lot of sleep and so
I like to be in bed by then
I must have read a while
the latest one by Marilyn French
or something in that style
it’s funny, but I had no sense
of living without aim
the day before you came
And turning out the light
I must have yawned and
cuddled up for yet another night
and rattling on the roof
I must have heard the sound of rain
the day before you came