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Mary of Strasbourg
On the last day of 1926 Mary of Strasbourg Was standing on the balcony of the Royal Hotel in Nice The hotel which had been built in 1888 had retained its English name As had many other locations in the city May was wearing an evening dress which to many seemed slender and slight […]
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Sailors Without Grace
Sailors Without Grace I am sunbathing on a beach There is a handsome ship on the horizon I can see its sailors on the deck But they cannot see me And because of this I feel a sense of power I would like to think that if these beautiful sailors Could see me then they […]
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Semi-Detached Suburban
Our grandparents purchased these houses (sturdy and strong) during the inter-war years Followed by our parents in the austere grey days of the fifties By the time we came of age our houses were considered old but comfortable But we loved them without qualification even though they cried out for change The railway station was […]
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West of East Grinstead
I spent by childhood living in an house That was situated between the High Level and Low Level stations In East Grinstead It was a blissful childhood as my father was the stationmaster of the High Level Station And my mother was the stationmaster at the Low Level station I also had a twice adopted […]
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Britain’s Lost Railways
My girlfriend showed me her model railway on our first date On our second date she showed me how to build a model signalbox We visited a Hornby shop on our third date and purchased a replica of East Grinstead High Level station She spent most of our fourth date explaining the complex track layout […]
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Musique dans un Desert
Rouge Bleu Jaune Vert Rose Blanc Noir Gris Violet Mauve Marron Orange Ce sont les couleurs du desert Je ne connais pas d’autres
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Everything is Illuminated
Billy I have a question for you As you are a poet you might be able to answer it Go ahead what is your question What happens when the lights go out Well the obvious answer is that you are in the dark But that is a bland answer Because even in the vacuum of […]
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Mireio – Mireille
She was in love with a basket maker of modest means That was her only crime Her crime if one may call it a crime Was that she had rejected all suitors Much to the displeasure of her parents Soon this became too much for her And she escaped to the coast away from her […]
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Les Fleurs Perdues
We agreed on a separation Without considering the facts Your soft exile followed soon after And you faded without cause What perfumes you might have shared
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Before the Storm
A summer storm is due I am tracking it in the sky At present it is crossing the near continent But it will arrive here after dark The air is damp and quite heavy As one would expect when a storm is approaching I can see the muffle clouds grouping over the low counties […]