“This Virgin West Coast train will soon arrive at Platform 4”
I grab my personal effects and head straight for the door
Now, what I’ve naively forgotten in my haste to leave the train
Is that I’m first to that green button – and the pressure is insane!
In several minutes time I will become a nervous wreck
As a legion of commuters start breathing down my neck
They’ll all be scrutinising to see if I delay
To get that train door open and shave a second off their day
But I’ve a second chance; my suffering denied
The platform we’re approaching maybe on the other side
In an act of desperation I push my face against the glass
Hoping to see rails instead of concrete rumbling past
But my reprieve is short-lived; this ordeal will come true
As the edge of platform 4 eases slowly in to view
The pressure is unbearable. A huge collective stare
“Why is he not pressing it? Their subconscious thoughts declare
In order to appease the crowd and defuse this madding scene
I start tapping at the button despite the fact it’s not turned green
And I can’t stop now, they’re watching. Soulless city worker eyes
“Open now you bastard!” my internal monologue replies
“Ding” – at last! The light comes on after what has seemed an age
One last furious tapping rep will release me from this cage
The noise of door mechanics is like music to my ears
The groans of agitation pass; my anguish disappears
I alight the train in deep relief and exhale a calming sigh
As London’s finest clamber past to offices nearby
I head towards the turnstiles reflecting on my fate
The next time I disembark a train I will procrastinate
A Geek Tragedy 
I feel your pain. I’ve been living in a hotel for several weeks, getting the lift at least twice a day and would still not back myself to push the correct ‘open doors’ or ‘close doors’ button under pressure. They’re just a bunch of random arrows to my limited brain. As such, I have not and will not ever be attempting such a bold gesture for fear of decapitating someone or even worse delaying my fellow passengers (or whatever you call a group of people in a lift).
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Not all poems have to rhyme
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Haha!! Can’t remember the context I famously used that statement in all those years ago. But a very valid point!
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