Monday 30 December 2013

Berlin, November 1989





A cold night
For a tired London girl
To be walking the streets of Berlin.
The polar streets of Berlin.
Each seemingly a wind tunnel,
Blowing iciness into her inner core.
So she walked,
Head down
Hands in pockets
Intent on her hotel room
And a hot bath
To bleed blessed heat
Into her frozen bones.

Lifting her head
At the Kurfürstendamm
The better to cross the road
Tired London girl's eyes
Widened
To take in
The glorious sight.
A road filled with serpents.
Rail tails one way,
White eyes the other.
Teeny tiny Trabants
Devoid of colour in the glare
Of sparkling Christmas lights.
Each tin can crammed
With incredulous humans
Soaking up the brightness,
Breathing in the glitz
Unavailable for years

Tears in the eyes
Of tired London girl.
Cynicism washed away
At the sight of
Grey garment clad masses,
Their faces pressed against the glasses
Of the effervescent shop windows
Ironically, describing the brothers Grimm,
But none so grim and colourless
Than the lives they led.

Tired London girl's fingers
Explored her pockets
Feeling the gritty nugget
She'd struck from the Wall
Herself,
The night before.
How lucky she felt.
To be here,
At this time.
Nights like these,
Times like these,
Are magical.

Joining with "Imaginary gardens with real toads" open link Monday, actually inspired by their last prompt.http://withrealtoads.blogspot.ca

18 comments:

  1. you took me on the walk with you... and let me see something I would have never seen....

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    1. Robert it was a pleasure to walk with you.
      Pea

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  2. Nice poem. Thank you for sharing.

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  3. What a wonderful experience! And I bet you still have that piece of wall somewhere. Happy New Year Pea !

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    1. Well I have a couple of pieces, which I put in a safe place, moved country and a couple of houses and I can't remember quite where that safe place is any more. But I have the memory and that is in a safe place too.

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  4. Wow, it's hard to believe it was that long ago. I feel cold, tired and a bit adrift as I read this...well penned!

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    Replies
    1. Times flies eh! Have a lovely new year.
      Pea.

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  5. Expect the unexpected!! happy new year.

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    1. One really should. Have a great new year.
      Pea

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  6. What an amazing time to be in Berlin. A historic description here. Happy New Year for 2014.

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    1. Peggy, I was so lucky. Happy new year to you.
      Pea

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  7. Wow, this is truly an amazing memory to carry. Your poem is so vivid...what a gift. Thank you!

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    1. Hannah, it's a special memory for me, I treasure it. Thanks for joining me on my walk.
      Happy new year.
      Pea.

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  8. It is amazing and rather reassuring how quickly our moods can change. But did you get the bath too?

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    1. Well you know I don't remember, but I do remember that I went over to Potdammer Platz where there were so many people and a lovely policeman lent me his hammer to chip off another chunk of wall. Fantasic times.

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