Closes

Edinburgh, May,2004

I never believed that my arrival's end
could find expression
in the English of England or the French of France.
Just as I never set out to discover the delight
of Edinburgh at dawn, when things are born.

Nor did I ever
foresee
arriving
here -
to live sidelong between closes and bridges,
although it's true a passer-by once said to me:
"Mister, this city is worth more than happiness."

But,
destinies are certain -
and, generally, long-lived -
and, although the present may be brief,
I see that there's still time
to take a stroll.

And so,
Amongst the dark streets
and the grey rains,
the cosmic and the magic
have arranged to meet me
for a special appointment:
Edinburgh is love,
on a road that runs
from the castle to the sea.

I set about imagining
my own particular destiny -
to fall in love along the way.