After the after party

Even the most familiar face
Can disappear without a trace
Amidst a crowd of theatregoers
I had been waiting for a while
My stare mistaken for a smile
Till I found the person
No-one knows as well as I do
A hug hello and I'm beside you again

I know the lines to read between
And when you've stolen every scene
For good and all, the curtain closes
And though you mightn't win awards
The audience applauds

No-one knows as well as I do
The untold hours till I'm beside you again
But tomorrow when you wake
And you feel a little flat
I won't make the mistake
Of reminding you of that

The understudy understands
The patience it demands
We're enjoying what we'll just call champagne
If they could only act their age
But all the world's a stage they're going through

After the after party is over
And the last of the cast is removed from the sofa
Then, and only then, am I beside you again
Late at night on threadbare carpet
So in the cold, hard light of the supermarket
Please! There were grazes on my knees