Walking with my younger self

We walked across Russell Square -

Behind us, the dark reef of the hotel -

Plane trees shaded the path -

The fountains were stilled -

This was the heart of my city of memory and dream -

I'd stretched out here on the summer grass -

I'd held a book open in my hand -

Looked up, between shining leaves, at a flawless sky -

Now I walked with my daughter and grandson past serene facades -

I knew each door, each gracious window -

Following us, invisible and slender, my younger self -

Close to me, almost touching, murmuring in my ear, still beautiful - 

Russell Square 

London 

August 2025