During a Business Trip to London, September 2012
During a Business Trip to London, September 2012
I
I could have been mature about it
And not defied the rules so stubbornly
Had they not put that tweed armchair in there.
So chintzy that, so touristy. Oh, hell -
So "welcome to Britain, stranger".
I dragged it by the window, poured a scotch,
And sat. I lit a Camel. I pondered
The sign threatening a forty-pound fine
For getting caught smoking in your room.
Getting caught. Like fukc, I thought,
And flicked my ash down Bayswater Road.
II
Hyde Park ducks don't mind the rain.
They don't seem to notice it at all.
It must be blissful to exist in peace
In crocodile-free man-made ponds;
To never know danger or discomfort.
To never have to jog at 6 a.m.
III
It ain't what it used to be,
Fish and chips. Back then,
Long library afternoons
Were followed by eager trips downtown
To sink in the smell of the vinegar
Soaking through the wrapper;
To let salt sizzle on the tongue;
To leave the greasy lips unwiped.
Today's cod was in a squeaky white platter.
Thin, stingy chips tasted vague like memories.
Fellow eaters wore dark-coloured ties,
And as I chewed, my mind was full
Not of Bakhtinian readings of Jane Eyre
But on my unfinalizable powerpoint.
Nothing like age to change the way
Things taste, and look, and feel.
Nowadays, bus posters scroll by like forgotten years;
Napkins are strewn about the table
Like opened cards.
IV
Next time I come here
It's got to be with you.
It's non-negotiable.
You must take the window seat
And examine the Thames from above;
Then, you must apply its squiggle
To a caress of my face.
You must kiss me on the tube
During rush hour.
You must examine everything
In great detail. For through your eyes
Is the only way this city will ever
Let me look at it again.