Gower Street - a poem by Chris Zachariou

Kingsway Day College, Gower Street

Once upon an ancient time

in the days of dust and innocence

Mr. Clements at the gate

holding hands with D. H. Lawrence

—thank you, Mr. Clements; thank you—

Nitah from the old landscape

leaning on an open window

   fragile; trusting;

all soft curls and dancing bracelets.

Her kindness touched my life

and all that was ever good

shivered and trembled in my hands.

A shy afternoon—
chastity and desire
on a little yellow bed

an avalanche of passion
and all our days of spring;
her first cry, her scent
and her whispers.

We never said goodbye,

not properly. There were no

last words, no kind lies or

promises of friendship.

We walked away silently,

both too young to have known

such sadness.

Gower Street is now another place.

The coffee shop, the park, the little

cinema— all gone.

This is now a new world for old lives.

One, two, three hours go by.

   How? When?

The shadows are so much longer.

How quickly morning turned to dusk.