centennial beckoning
My everyday sojourn, or at least my intention,
Two years since, my daily round
Beginning alone
Then with someone else, for a time,
Then alone, whilst with someone, stinging raw
So alone again
Clunk, the doors sealed shut
And so my round starts
I’m feeling a short one this time
Sometimes longer, Sometimes backwards
Seldom further away
Earlier, hardly later
Balmy in brisk and thaw
The full routine long neglected,
In favour of the turnaround, both ones
The Hazelnut and the Crescent
Slightly up
Til the stop across the street
Then left, past the crossing
The newsagents under the terraced balcony
The pub shut down, and the eatery in close pursuit
The crossroads in view, the drop in rear
Green red, wait
Island hopping, I reach the gravel carpet
Welcoming the sanctuary
With visiting rights on Sundays
Another crossing repeats
As my stride,
It longs for the green mire,
The call of the pylons and blackberry bushel
Where we met the old gentleman with his collie
The wooden bridge, the sofa tucked away
White posts, wooden pews
Alas, it’ll be tarmac for me this time
Still blossoming too, with birdsong and whirlwinds to boot
Houses apart, Deluxe abodes
Overfilled bins
Lives also lived
Thud thud thud, I trudge
Blink lights alerted
The bitter cold wind returns in the valley tonight
Sharpened on the whetstone that is god's tongue
!!!
The fence with the high squeak got me again
As did the piggybacking tree frogs
I scarcely acknowledge a soul
Black fox, skidding leaf
The land has plenty character
The boisterous nursery notwithstanding
Nor the young lad and the old mutt
Although that’s toward the finish
The interim greets me with alleyways
Footpaths escaping to the towerlike familiars
Not today still
Not long before the running sewer,
Past the house with the slab on the grass
But before the one with the skip on the drive
The Hazelnut appears,
I’m feeling a little further this eve
The roundabout where the coaches aggregate
And the dumped goods gather soot
The council advertises its green patch proudly
I care not for it, the lucrative Crescent mere steps away
Where I saw the green parrot, the pigeon on the lamppost
And the rabbit trio
The Centennial beyond implores
Past the village of industry
Stimulation galore, from vehicles, to legal, to many more
Whom I wonder did they ever possess fellowmen
Many a self talk were had, peppy and animated
Where now I realise I’m in fine fettle
I head to the near end
To complete my loop
Signaling back I go
Retracing until the upward oneway
With palm trees
The déjà vu ascent
The obsessors, the ponders, the decorators, the comparatives
Here, its that road to look twice forth
Do you take the throughway betwixt
Or the slither around
I’m nearly there
Unzzzzzip
Dangle, dangle
Shuffle and scramble
Key in, twist
Push the handle and wipe the feet
Returned from my millenia away
Now behind, I close the door
“Hello, I’m back”
