I was visiting Pat, that Friday morning. Her flat
overlooks the plaza in front of Westminster Cathedral.
At noon the bell began to toll, three solemn strokes repeated on and on.
Other bells from churches further away took up
the rhythm in repeating ripples of sound.
Without debating it, suddenly we knew
we should walk across to the Palace.
Just to check out what was happening.
When we got out there I realised that everyone had had the same idea.
Everyone wanted to taste the air, check how things felt, see if they
could feel the difference.
The Victoria Memorial was aswarm with people.
The police had stopped the traffic, set up an efficient one way system
past the railings – in at the right, out at the left.
Even Pat with her stick and obvious frailty could not gain easy entry.
We could see the line of flowers growing. I took a picture.
As we left it was nearing 1pm. The repeating boom
of the Hyde Park gun salute echoed through the canyon of the buildings. 96.
And the office lunch break twos and threes became more obvious
Striding purposefully in their smart work clothes
towards the focus of those railings
some with bunched flowers held down at their sides
just like you see on Mother’s Day.
A young couple, the girl holding her flowers like a wedding bouquet.
Two young mums, buggies bursting with babies and toddlers
determined to be there. Just as we were.
Coming back to Battersea I suddenly realised –
commerce was in full retreat at the bus stops –
The digital ads replaced at every point by just one calmly smiling image.
“Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
replace the adverts with her face alone”.
Friday 9 September 2022
Riverview Songs 