More than just about anywhere else, I find a sense of PEACE in Paris. It is something more than the obvious reasons, the things that make everyone ADORE the city. For me, it is the river. It looms LARGE in my experience of the city: a constant reference point, a meditative space, a source of wonder, a place to feel the passage of time. I could stand forever on a bridge and charmed by a BARGE moving slowly along.

Georg’ann

Sitting in a line, in a narrow boat on open water.
Confined to this small SPACE,
with a man who exudes hostility.
Learning to move together,
Gracefully following a lead.

Ironic that he’d been my tango teacher,
until his anger drove me away. Now he’s here to help us crew.

Class ends, everyone leaves
my friend and I stay behind,
strip to our skivvies, enter with a splash
We BATHE in the final sparkles of sunlight,
on a beach belonging to a scout camp.
What BADGE might we have we earned
for our all our efforts here?
While more BARGE than scull
Halting, clunky, intermittent flow, in sync
pace set by the tiniest of us.
Even the angry man, always in charge
had to follow, as we moved with delight.

Heather