I visited a castle recently

In the South of England

Whilst there I purchased a book

From a dusty room near a terrace

That overlooked the sea

Collected Poems Volume II

1917 – 1922

John Drinkwater

There was a dedication inside

Not from the poet

But from Eva to Harold

Xmas 1923

This book I was told

Had arrived in the summer of 2025

Or was it 2024

Where had it been since 1923/2023

This was a vacant enquiry

Idiotic to the extreme

Why research the obvious

I said to myself as I paddled

In the chilly sea under a dust sky

Alice was reading my book

She had been born in Gloucestershire

And had retained some of her accent

Which I found very attractive

We spent the night in a local hotel

And caught an early less crowded train

After a much admired breakfast in blue