Saturday, 14 May 2011

An old Flemish refrain

(memories of a happy day with 2 children)


a walk:
past a mill and a church

-Your early shyness still showing-
and then through Flanders Fields
of maize & flowers,
the June sun a new ode.

These were the things I saw
today as we Volvoed along Meerlaanstraat:
-Daniel becomes the Rocket Man,
-the Teddy Bear house winks,
-another shy girl trying
to join us on our stumbles and laughter trail
over cobbles , past pains and rougher pavements
-the rabbits, the pigeons, the crows
grey barking dogs and shadows from lofts
-the sweetness of a sip you gave me
from your bottles.

All these now-trite things;
so terrifyingly clear still,
an almost obscene clarity of every
gesture, nuance and smell
of our day of roller-blading
in Meerlaanstraat.


for A & D 1.8.99

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