In pubs behind shop fronts
Checked carpet and wood
Period lights getting brighter
The great minds of a generation
Clearing empty glasses from tables
Refining critiques of each other
Point making, missing the floor
In the corner, squinting clarity
Dilation beyond the intentional half
And the world offering itself up
Clear and manageable as not before
By the window, lives they could have lived
With more spirit and belief
And beauty their eyes tell them about
Before they disown their own feelings
Sleep gratified, they wake disgusted
Shouting inward to empty space
Frowning at those who hide
In youth or possibility
The full consideration
Of morning burning headsNo point, in change they see
Paying money to feel free