We used to take drugs together

We are sat by your bed on a Saturday afternoon
and you tell me the things you regret you'll never do
fly in a helicopter
watch the Foo Fighters live
do the Monopoly board pub crawl.

We went to different universities
but still emailed each other most days,
best friends since infants when we'd play in sandpits

and with Micro Machines on your bedroom floor.
You tell me the happiest day of your life
was when you met Denis Bergkamp
in the furniture department at John Lewis's
and I remember the time you told me you'd slept with my sister
and I didn't dare admit that I'd already slept with yours.
I remember when you first fell ill
when you'd phone me up crying
and I would mute the TV

tell you everything was going to turn out okay.
We talked about things we'd do one day
travel the world and fall in love with barmaids
eat chicken legs in a hot air balloon
go on the pedalos at Centre Parks.

I visit on Saturdays
tell you everyone sends their best wishes.
We listen to the football on 5 Live
I wish I could come round more but I'm so busy with work
my office is such a commute.
Once we've watched Final Score with Ray Stubbs
I go and get your shopping
at first you'd make me a list
but now I just stroll the aisles
thinking of the kind of things you like
green olives, mango and passion fruit smoothie

bacon.
Once I've put the food in your cupboards I go back to your room
and you say
'I bet all of our primary school teachers are dead by now'
I think back to Mr Holland and Mrs Phillips

and realise you're probaby right.
You get tired by the evening
you take your tablets
wash them down with a sip of Kronenbourg
and I think back to Millenium Eve
when we took pills in a Camden bar
climbed up the fire escape at midnight
stood on the roof
flapped our arms like eagles
and talked about infinty.