London Calling
And, when he shall die,
Take him and cut him out in little stars,
And he will make the face of heaven so fine
That all the world will be in love with night
And pay no worship to the garish sun.
This one may get a little emotional.
Luckily, I am always prepared.
I never wanted to live in London.
Even though I read my Shakespeare early on.
And my Dickens. And Dr Johnson.
Even when I became an English professor.
I still felt the same way.
Until 20 years later. When I was living in Vermont.
And saw those photos.
Of Alice Blachly and her cousin Nancy from London.
During their trip to Lago Maggiore.
Then I knew I was a dead man.
And had to get a whole new life.
So I moved to London in October 2000.
And stayed until September 15, 2020.
I will be back next month.
After a whole year in the Evil Empire.
When you get married at the registry office in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, they keep the civil ceremony very short.
But you are allowed to slip a little something into the vows.
So I added this:
Come what sorrow can,
It cannot countervail the exchange of joy
That one short minute gives me in her sight.
I look forward to seeing those beautiful royal parks.
The roses should still be out in Queen Anne’s Gardens.
And I will hit the Tate.
With Sweet Jane.
I will assist my friend Carmen.
As she participates in a triathlon at Blenheim Palace.
Because she will try anything.
I will also go out into the lovely English countryside.
With my fellow ramblers.
And see my former colleagues at the Guardian.
Who assure me that they will be back in the office.
Working very hard, no doubt.
BTW, this is what they do to you.
When you dare to leave the news biz.
I’ll get even, somehow.
I will also be going to the Globe.
For a matinee. Of R&J.
They are but beggars that can count their worth,
But my true love is grown to such excess
I cannot sum up sum of half my wealth.
The Good Doctor was quite right:
No, Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.
I still feel the same way about London.
And about life.
Call me intrigued.
