Forgot Paris Poem by Roy Lee

Twenty five years since I walked along the Seine
It was April then and now
Spring chills and sunny spots
Lovers hand in hand search for romance
Tourists clambering with cameras and maps
Avoiding paintings on sidewalks and tourist traps

We had bought a cheap etching then
A bicycle on a stand
Leaning besides the river
Meandering through the Parisian land.
For years I had it hung on a wall
Until one day, broken by a swinging door

I had a Kodak camera in my pocket
And in a dusty album stored somewhere
A faded photograph
Of her lying on the river wall
In black leather pants and enigmatic smile
Resting between walking each mile

Paris was for lovers wasn’t it?
So we argued and then made love
On a creaky bed
With bread and cheese and cheap wine
In a forgotten hotel near Montmartre
The magic would last like Monet’s art

Through our bodies pulsed the blood of youth
Stout heart and skin so smooth
Before us was promise and potential
But time has flowed so fast
Lost in the wear of work and accounts paid
Her ashes now, washed away and memories fade.

April 2010.