Poetry Magazines - The best collection of poetry magazines online - Simon Armitage

Once, I went to a fabulous poetry reading,
But I don’t remember who it was, or where it was.
I don’t remember if it was the Right Bank or the Left Bank.
I just remember I wore a red hat –
And someone commented – You are wearing a red hat, madame.
And like a fool, I told them where I bought it.
And the next thing I knew –
Everyone in Paris was wearing the same hat – and turning up
At poetry readings, smirking and smoking
In that singular way the French have.
I don’t remember which bit of the Seine we jumped in
To get away from them –
Just that a silver fish swam up to us looked us square in the eye
And said I see you are wearing despair, so juicy, so scarlet, and it’s
Very becoming, on you, madame –
And like a fool I told him where we had jettisoned hope
And before I knew it – all the fish in Paris
Were walking on pavements right up to Notre Dame
Bold as you like , and asking to be christened without hope
And grinning like Cheshire Cats in that sardine way
That only French fish can.
I don’t remember which bird I sang to or on which street corner
We pretended to be gypsies who really could play violin
Only that a man with one eye came up to youAnd sang
Que sera as if his heart were full of lilacs
And we threw coins and ballet shoes at each other and there was
A single moment of tenderness mixed with terror
In that way that only French streets have where they join
With the past and beckon down the future
With a fabulous lip-curl.
Once, I went to a fabulous poetry reading.
Me in my little red hat and you with your heart full of lilacs.
How easy it is in Paris, to begin to change everything.
What you never knew about yourself.
And, what you have always suspected.