Every time I see a couple kissing in public I'll think of you and me on Princes Street

We walked along Waverley Bridge
battered
we'd been out all night and couldn't be bothered to go home
your breath smelled of cider and cigarettes
but I didn't mind
because as we kissed open mouthed against a Burger King billboard
and a bit of slobber dribbled from the corner of my mouth

I realised dignity is overrated.
We hadn't noticed night turn to day
but a perfect sunrise wouldn't really have been appropriate
golden skies are reserved for Princes and Princesses
and Hollywood romcoms.

Scotland was grey that morning and as we kissed
men cycled past us wearing hi viz jackets,
a grey haired couple sheltered under an umbrella
but for once I didn't care what anyone else thought of me
and as I ran my hand through your soaking wet hair

it didn't matter who saw us.
I bet people sitting on Edinburgh double deckers on their way to work looked at us
and hoped we'd catch flu.
Because that's the kind of thing I think
every time I see a couple kissing in public.

People turned their back to us
pretended we didn't exist
and I don't blame them
because we still had a bottle of Blackthorn
we were singing The Pogues at the top of our voices
and our mouths were full of each others spit.
If we'd been in Vegas
we'd have been saying 'I do'
to a guy dressed as Elvis

and maybe that wouldn't have been so bad
and I know that in the future every time I see a couple kissing in public
on train platforms
and in airport departure lounges
in nightclubs and bars
I'll think of you and me that morning on Princes Street
when we kissed
like it was the apocalypse.