2 Late

The speaker waits and watches for someone who remains out of reach. The mood moves from patient hope—waiting as before and wishing for another chance—to frustration and sadness. By the end, the speaker imagines leaving, though it is unclear whether this is a real decision or a picture of emotional withdrawal.

The “signs that sell the news” suggest a public, busy setting, while the speaker’s waiting happens behind it, almost hidden. The other person’s “measured step” and straightened hat make them seem controlled and distant. “Always 2 late” may mean the speaker repeatedly misses the right moment to connect. The words that “hold you down in solitude” could be thoughts or circumstances that keep the other person isolated.

Some images remain deliberately unclear. “My eyes just close” suggests the speaker cannot bear to look or cannot make contact; the comparison to wooden men hints at stiffness or emotional numbness. “I put you under rainy day” may mean placing the person inside a gloomy mood or memory, but the phrase does not give a single certain meaning. The ending can sound like acceptance, escape, or another imagined scene.