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Saturday 22 December 2012

Déjà vu?

It always sounds like déjà vu
but did not feel that way.
We were on holiday,
had cycled far, my friend and I,
on too much cider and in too much sun.
The road seemed endless --
no habitation and no side roads to explore --
and we were looking for a place to rest
and to escape the sun. I said:
Just round this next bend there's a café!
(I'd never been this far before -
as Freddy knew.) Yeah, where?
he grunted, disbelievingly.
Just round this bend. Beside a pub --
well, was a pub, but is a church, these days.

And so it proved. Exactly as I'd said --
except the church that was a pub
was neither now, a sad, neglected hulk.

I had not spoken out of memory,
I could not even claim a feeling in my gut,
I'd said it not quite knowing why --
but having said it, stuck to it
and tried to fake a certain confidence,
but confidence I had not felt.
I was not even confident
that it was me who'd spoken.

Refreshed with swigs of water and stale buns
(Good for soaking up the alcohol, so we were told),
we took a peep next door.
What I've called church had been a chapel
and was now a shell with leaking roof
and debris everywhere -- except a space
that must have been the bar one time.
Here was a tiny manger scene,
a mini Bethlehem, no less, almost intact,
and at the back, a banner peeling from the wall,
A Peaceful Christmas to you all!
.......................................................

MY WISH TO ALL -- A BLESSED CHRISTMASTIDE! ....................................................... This may be my last post of 2012, but then again nothing in this life is THAT certain...

19 comments:

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Lovely, lovely!

Have a wonderful Christmas Dave.

Anna :o]

Brian Miller said...

smiles...merry christmas friend...and you know, you gave hope...and instead of a pub or restaurant you found hope still....see you soon friend...

kaykuala said...

Nice to re-trace our steps back to places we've been before. It gives a feeling of having done justice to oneself - to having progressed from where we were before.

Enjoy your holidays, Dave and Merry Christmas to you!

Hank

Kass said...

Beautiful. Made me warm inside.

Ygraine said...

A wonderfully heart-warming story, Dave.
I love how you found that Nativity scene inside a ruinous building - what a symbol of much needed hope!
And to think it was your intuition that led you there...

Warmest Season's Blessings
xxx

jabblog said...

Intuition is a wonderful thing.

Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Healthy 2013

Janice

Mary said...

What a nice Christmas post, Dave. I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year too.

Cloudia said...

Sharing these stories by the fire is a wonderful way to spend my time, Dave.

wishing YOU all the best, and thanks very much for your friendship throughout the year.

With Aloha from Waikiki,
Comfort Spiral
~ > < } } ( ° >
> < } } ( ° >

The Unknowngnome said...

Merry Christmas Dave.

Elephant's Child said...

Thank you so much. I loved this almost vue.
Merry Christmas. I am looking forward to your next post - this year or next.

haricot said...

Your imagination and some memories have enriched my own time. Thank you very much, Dave. And may you have a peaceful Christmas.

Liz Rice-Sosne said...

Dave ... this was a wonderful Christmas story. I have appreciated your words over this past year, a lot. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you.

Tommaso Gervasutti said...

A great final post Dave, I was stuck to your lines and your "pub", riveted actually to the unenexpected atmosphere.

A Happy Christmas to you.

David Cranmer said...

Thank you for all your beautiful poetry, Dave.

And Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Carl said...

Grat story. I hope you have a wonderful 2013.

A Cuban In London said...

Merry Christmas to you and your beautiful family! :-)

Greetings from London.

Optimistic Existentialist said...

Dave I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!

Surbhi Bafna said...

Hi, I am Surbhi, author of blog" Vivacious Puerile" and I hereby Nominate your blog for THE LIEBSTER BLOG AWARD. For more details kindly refer to Liebster Blog Award at http://surbhibafna.blogspot.in/2012/12/liebster-blog-award.html

Dave King said...

Hi Everyone
and a belated thanks for your comments. As you've probably gathered, I've not been around online over the holiday period, had a rather longer break than I had anticipated.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and here's to a brilliant New Year!