Daydreaming on Guildford High Street
A lighter piece this. So easy to be transported from the now with the now
Stepping down the steepling cobbled High Street,
Past the detritus of the pandemic,
Shop closures universal, not endemic,
On the way to Luca’s for a lunch treat,
I’m ensnared by Massimo’s window sign;
“Final reductions! 80% off!”
Unable to resist such a bargain
(and loving all things Spanish, women and wine)
I enter, browse. There’s a discrete cough.
I turn, think I’m back in Eden’s garden.
Sun singing in her freckled eyes she smiles,
And I’m sold on the cotton shirts I’ve eyed
and her, transported back to the beginning
from where I fast forward to the ending,
her lips already on mine, hot sweat sweet
softly pushed into my mouth, tongue probing
against mine, body tender, stomach taut;
’96, it was, on the Ibizan beach
where we first met – I selling ice-cream cones,
she a maths post grad island hopping –
Stopped: explored each other’s peninsulas
Separated from the world,
Knowing only the other’s will,
The wild green bay of the flesh,
Invisible moons visible only to the other,
Lust rapidly changing into love,
And our lives adjusting to its nuances….
“Sir? Do you need any help in choosing?”
I shake off the visions, watch them dissolve,
Mumble, “Estoy mirando,” my heart guiding
Me back into the orbit of the heart waiting.
A very entertaining read, Bhi. Knowing Guildford many years ago, the cobbled bit hit home, and then of course I was seduced first by the freckles and then by the taut stomach. (God they were the days, weren’t they!) You are to be congratulated for the wonderfully evocative structure that painted the scenes with such poetic words and phrases. I could feel the tingles and ‘feels’ – to use the modern vernacular. THIS surely, deserves an accolade, my friend.
Allen
Allen, When you say “many years ago” how long was that? I’ve been in the area for many years now and Guildford has changed; the High Street has lost a lot of familiar names and many are on the edge with the “enforced” closures during the lockdown. But like all places there is a resilient streak and there are pop up cafes and stalls, and local markets springing up. The High Street is magnificent and has a medieval feel, with the cobbles and the wood fronted shops, and of course the grand clock and the castle to the side. Glad… Read more »
Now you are asking! Hmm, I just asked Lady Griff and between us reckon the last time we were in Guildford was with our two daughters… in about 1988’ish. We’ve gauged that based upon how old we remember them being at the time, so it is only approximate.
As far as memories are concerned, I pass: I had a motor accident in 1961 and lost my memory. I still have problems getting events in the right order – hence Lady Griff being my memory guide!
A delightful reminisce; I was taken in by the evocation of Ibiza in your ‘salad days’; and of course, feminine beauty – any beauty – is eternal. I haven’t been to Guildford, it sounds interesting. a good one Bhi.
Dougie
A beautiful city with a deep history, and the High Street with its Jacobean and Elizabethan architecture is stunning.
Guildford my home town. I read your poem with great joy the steepling cobbled High Street, what a lovely line, it captures it perfectly.
And the perfectly presented images, so powerful and evocative.
Reminding me of teenage dalliances, some actual, many hoped for 🙂
You have written so beautifully it’s more like looking at a lovely painting than reading words on a page. I’m in the Guildford past and present Facebook group, and wouldn’t recognise today’s town. Sue.
What a small world, Sue! I live between Guildford and Leatherhead, but the former has a charm of its own, and has a larger range of shops and eateries. The restaurants, especially, adapted well to the pandemic and there is a plethora of small independents springing up. I hope the High Street and the surrounding streets survive- they are going to be expanding the Friary and we’ll have another mass of glass and cement to contend with.
Ah, the Friary, I worked there when it was the brewery, I started as the first ever post girl, all were boys before me. Worked my way up to second in charge of the Addressograph office. Happy years 🙂
You have painted an attractive picture of a place I never visited. The thought of a lunch treat at Luca’s is very appealing and though not interested in the 80% clothes reduction, the fact that it can inspire dreams of long ago Spanish holiday romances makes Guildford a destination not to be missed.
Luigi, it is a fantastic city, castle, cathedral, university, theatres, yet retaining an intimate feel, and importantly home to a number of blistering good Italian eateries, one of them being The Positano.
Re the 80% reduction; my wife says I have a peculiarly shaped body – I will not comment any further on that – which only Massimo seems to be able to clothe, hence my attraction.