Cherubs

SEVENTEEN is not a year I planned

a youth ignored, would live abroad with him

where never fell asleep UNHOLDING HAND

in hand along the Seine, forever Jim

I noticed first when eyes found staring, MOON

at Mia’s face, the alabaster wine

our waiter served us young.. too young and soon

for LOVE in LOUVRE, grapes and babies dine

-

when sleeping through the morning Paris brings

with colours from a PALETTE given child

I saw him standing, Left Bank, river SINGS

of dimming light and coming night.. he smiled

“I think I need to walk alone,” I spoke

to her who drew the DANCER from the DANCE

at high school proms and ice cream nights unbroke

she knew of waiting, bated dating, CHANCE

-

the stones I CROSSED, the pont that lent its span

of camber arches, hardly felt the heft

of LIGHTEST STEPS that weighed upon as ran

I found the rightest eyes upon the Left

“Jacques, but call me JIM,” his accent spare

“and I’m Sebastian, mostly go by JACK..”

we walked along the COBBLESTONES, a pair

of minors feeling more than minors lack

-

and SITTING on the slabs as lamps unglowed

around us fleeing, bullied by the flush

of burning tween the two as MINUTES SLOWED

searing years, the words began to rush

I TURNED to him, too close we sat, he spun

exactly at the moment, twisted me

and toward center, noses, lips undone

with KISS UNFOLDING, boldly going.. we

-

were never far from Paris save for school

as found ourselves repeating WHEN and HOW

I crossed a bridge at seventeen, this fool

has lost the years BETWEEN a then and now

for NEVER thought as always wanted lay

upon the bank when sunning ‘long the Seine

and speak of art with Mia, as today..

amie for Jim and Jack, a trifle BLENDING

-

MOULIN ROUGE and Palace of Versailles

with three recalling Eiffel Tower sky

https://open.spotify.com/track/2PtMmCSmJxkgeVJP1BBnFB