THURSDAY THINK TANK
asks us to think of a 'first time'.
THE FIRST TIME
(A parody to the old song 'The Last Time I Saw Paris.')
The first time we saw Paris
Was 1953.
The War was over, but we felt
Still part of history.
Too long the lovely city
Had been ensnared in chains,
And there were signs, at that late date,
Of sadness and remains.
Beside the Seine we walked along,
As lovers long have done,
The birds all sang 'Love's Old Sweet Song',
And we basked in summer sun.
The first time we saw Paris
Would prove to be the last.
In memory, I walk there, still,
Remembering the past.
*
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BROWSING
It seems that modern life allows
Little time for us to browse.
Old-time book-shops disappear
And they had such great atmosphere!
The smell of ancient printed pages
Comes to us from down the ages.
And it's absolutely vital
That we find that special title.
"What is this life if, full of care,"
Book-shops just stop being there?
*
