April, the city full of sunshine sky Mediterranean blue the half moon has been strangely visible all day it looks like the rock it is under the sea above all its craters crayoned in by the same blue
clots of tourists choking the footpaths from Tower Bridge south to Jamaica Wharf wandering thoughtlessly into the cycle path making me weave my e-bike en route to Johnny’s Fish Bar
there’s been football today police horses deployed by Bermondsey tube huge beasts who poo freely on the pavement leaving deposits outside the bank I’m sure there must be a by-law about leaving horse dung on the road in Southwark I’ll check it out report it to the police this skid risk of equine skid marks
I barely touch my pedals this machine gives me wings it’s top dollar heavy, high-powered fat treads fly me through clouds of feeble cherry blossom I think of biodegradable confetti think of the sort of husband I might want to be
on chat on my fat headphones my ears sweat inside the cushioned cups my voice raised to hear myself speak through the foam this old white guy (outside Johnny’s) interrupts my conversation when I mention Josh Sargent
football, our commonality my university town (economics) his home
I’ve seen his team on telly my friend plays for Plymouth who beat his fragile Pompey
I smile, the smile you know the one the one you use when the old white guy presumes you’re outside the chippy with an e-bike because its your job and he’s wrong I like cycling I’m buying supper
he looked after my bike while I went to the counter for my fish & chips It’s not a proper bike he jokes he’s right we laugh shake hands depart
I love the way you set the familiar scene in the opening stanzas, Chris, and described the ‘clots of tourists’ and Bermondsey tube – my mother’s family is originally from off the Old Kent Road. I bet it’s changed since I was last there. I was taken back to my cycling days, too, and love the thought of flying through ‘clouds of feeble cherry blossom’, my kind of biodegradable confetti.
Journey of Words 
6 responses
Lovely sense of place, as well as the e-bike experience.
Wonderful ♥️
Caleb, Thank you. 🙏
I love the way you set the familiar scene in the opening stanzas, Chris, and described the ‘clots of tourists’ and Bermondsey tube – my mother’s family is originally from off the Old Kent Road. I bet it’s changed since I was last there. I was taken back to my cycling days, too, and love the thought of flying through ‘clouds of feeble cherry blossom’, my kind of biodegradable confetti.
Thank you for the e-bike tour in your poem, Chris. I will not get over the “biodegradable confetti” 🙂
You would easily…its very malleable. 🙏