FebulousFebruary 2025: Lost and Found

London Vegan Valentine

 

On the plane

On the train

In the rain

You and me

Arm in arm

Ambling along Sloane Square

You, red boots, yellow brolly, stripy hat

Me, silly grin, windmill hair

 

In the Saatchi gallery

We wander in different directions

Me, wondering who the hell called this stuff art

Yet trying hard to look all cultured

You, falling in love with Dana Schutz’s ‘Singed Picnic’

Then telling me to hurry up because the rest is crap

 

On the train again

Trying to get to Barbican

Going the wrong way around the circle line

Me, falling over in some snobby woman’s lap

Her, not happy

You, thoroughly amused

 

In the rain again

Running down a lane called Cloth Fair

Spilling into London’s first vegetarian Italian

I order sparkling red wine for the first time

You order the world’s tastiest tempura

 

Russell Square

At our favourite bookshop

You say: ‘One book each and no more’

I snigger and pick up four:

Quentin Crisp, Amy Bloom, Claire Dowie’s book of plays

And a history of Club Gateways

 

In the transport museum

You buy me the London Underground Game

I try to kiss your mouth and miss

Because you try to kiss my nose

 

Outside

Kissing in the rain

I accidently push you off the pavement

Then almost lose an eye

When your crazy brolly blows inside out

 

Later, in Covent Garden

Sitting side by side

Eating piping lentil soup:

We pull our stools together

Bump elbows

And laugh.

 

 

Lynsey Calderwood, 36, Sudbury, Suffolk