where silence will be placed out of sight and out of the way
Stretch and release last night’s final yawn
Again I feel I am here
Again to be re-born
The wild cat is starting to gradually purr
What lies ahead?
What’s due to occur?
Inhaling the uplifting aroma from a magic bean
The one that is roasted with that much needed caffeine
A mini lightning bolt
A morning jolt
Confidently announcing itself
with a sophisticated pulsating roar
Stand to attention
And watch it pour
Temperature perfect
With just one shot
It’s just how I like it
It’s not too… hot
Review: Espresso, my ritual
It’s intimate. It’s vivid. There’s a strong feeling of anticipation. I am with the poet during the whole orderly early morning yet exciting process and enjoying every minute.
That ‘nudge’ must be the first thought before getting out of bed; the thought of the thing that is needed to start the day ahead. It’s not a one off and this behaviour has become a regular thing. It feels good. It does good. Combatting the bad. It’s powerful stuff and the ritual is established.
The silence from the night is replaced by a gradual awakening of the senses.
Releasing the final yawn from the previous night is a strong visual. Released, yes but the yawn is being kept in its place and not permitted to enter the new day that lies ahead.
The word ‘Again’ mentioned twice reinforces the pattern established by this ritual. I find that solid and reassuring.
Positive statements of gratitude are what I’m seeing here. Good early morning mantras to accommodate the first coffee of the morning. Being alive and daily renewal with the words ‘I am here’ and ‘to be re-born’
I’m imagining the ‘Wild Cat’ with its purring referencing the sound of the coffee machine starting to warm up gradually. A soothing sound first thing especially on a dark winter’s morning whilst beginning to contemplate the day ahead.
Then there’s a sudden change of tempo with the coffee aroma
Penetrative rhyming with ‘magic bean and caffeine’ ‘lighting bolt and morning jolt’
There’s the trigger and what happens as a result!
It’s confident. It has my attention.
The roar and the pour visual is like being at the theatre.
‘One shot’ and ‘not too hot’ satisfyingly concludes the poem.
As the reader, I could read it again and again. It’s just how I like it.
Another day, Sunday this time, I take myself off to the John Lewis store on Oxford Street. Oxford Street itself looks a bit like a ghost town and it’s not just because it’s a Sunday, there’s more to it than that but that’s another story. It was very much in contrast with how it used to feel when there was more of a hustle and a bustle; an exciting ‘I need to go ‘up West ’ to shop, kind of a vibe. What’s happened? Where is everyone?
I’ve come to John Lewis after all – that name carries weight.
Surely they must all be inside the shops? Yes, that must be it… Well never mind the ‘non atmosphere’ of this particular strip of Oxford Street, my aim was to head to the ‘home’ department within John Lewis and hope to discover ‘that perfect cushion.’ Stepping inside, I’m met with a heavy presence of security and my nostrils are momentarily ambushed by a cocktail of fragrances vying for my attention. I’m not at all put off, not in the slightest, I’ve come to John Lewis after all – that name carries weight. If memory serves it speaks of quality goods, good customer service and how of course can I forget those emotive, ‘speaking straight to the heart’ Christmas TV ads? The boy and the penguin, the lonely man on the moon, trampolining wildlife and the aging woman too of course. (I’m on the verge of starting to blub just thinking about it!) The stories are imaginative, tender and beautifully quirky. Starting as a tiny little curious ripple in a pond and then leading on to a gradual build up towards a full on eruption and tidal wave of emotion; pow – what a hit! John Lewis sure knows a thing or two about storytelling…
Are you now siting comfortably as I continue with mine? The story of my ‘cushion quest’ continues. Truly keeping in the spirit of John Lewis, I have Billy Joel’s song “She’s always a woman” running through my mind as I manage to find the escalators with ease (because the place is just so empty) Yes, like I said it’s a Sunday but I couldn’t help notice just how void the place was of any sense of liveliness; it just doesn’t appear to be there anymore, it was almost eerie.
From the outside it appears confident and is positioned boldly on the Oxford Street landscape but perhaps there’s a sense of disquiet brewing after the recent-ish neighbourhood evictions of HMV and BHS, leaving John Lewis holding its head and screaming inside, “OMG surely not me next!”
On the day, John Lewis looked like the intro to one of its own T.V Christmas ads; tugging very heavily at the heartstrings. (Cue the tinkling of piano keys) The storyline would be, “It’s very tired, sombre, dewy eyed with a yearning to be busy once again.” (with or without a trampoline). I’ll say it once again – I know it’s a Sunday…perhaps it’s a telling sign of how London actually is on a Sunday afternoon? The staff were smiling however and looking approachable in the what’s expected to be the ‘John Lewis’ way. The few shoppers that I did see looked as though they were attending a wake and did not seem to be alert with any sense of pleasure or delight when looking through the rails of curtain fabrics or the selection of bathroom linen but these items were indeed delightful to look at and nicely designed. The old adage goes “The customer is always right”, right? (but what a miserable lot!) Was I expecting too much, too much of an atmosphere? Is that what does it for me, the ambience of a place rather than what it holds? Surely there should be a balanced collaboration of the two? Was I spoiled by my recent visit to Liberty of London?
… you’re in a shop, you’re here to shop …
I find the cushions… Straight away the message I get is, “Come to your senses – you’re in a shop, you’re here to shop, not to be entertained or ‘mollycoddled’ Look at what’s on the shelves. If you like it, can afford it…hmm… then buy it; you can see the price tags clearly dangling. If no, you are welcome to have a coffee and a sticky bun in the café if you wish, (use the lavatory if you must) then move on…out of the shop, thank you.” The needle on the Billy Joel record that was playing in my mind, scratches to an abrupt silence…
Fast-forward to somewhere that is delightful, beautifully designed, has gorgeous imagery and is simple to navigate. The atmosphere is warm and very cosy…and no, I’m not dreaming, I’m visiting John Lewis again. No train, tubes, taxis or buses involved in the journey there and I arrive at a time that suits me perfectly. I’m taking the ‘online route’ from the comfort and convenience of my home. The song playing in my mind this time is “Do you see the light” by SNAP
The penny drops. There hasn’t been a micro apocalypse or a mass exodus. Clearly everyone is at home where the online shopping experience has eclipsed the physical one. Could this then be the ‘happy ending’ to the John Lewis Christmas Ad, where the online shopping experience has rescued it from its state of physical fatigue?
Is that it then? Does a culture of online shopping spell the beginning of the end for the West End as we know it? As the tumbleweed of haberdashery threads and out of date John Lewis vouchers begin to gradually form in every doorway corner, there is time perhaps to contemplate its future? Surely Oxford Street can be more than just a concrete playground for tourists? What if it became something of a ‘celebration street’ for tourists and Londoners alike? A vibrant cultural hub? What if all the stores were to close as everyone shops online? Pedestrians only, could that ever happen? No buses, no taxis?
Somewhere that welcomes visitors with culinary delights, street food style representing Londoners and people from up and down the country and around the world? That’s what London is about, everyone is here. There could be street theatre, that’s not solely represented by metallic spray painted faces. Poetry? Music? A nature trail? An area where there is a lawn with benches and tables? People could actually sit and talk to each other, even have picnics on an Oxford Street where there is no air pollution??? Okay, so perhaps I am getting carried away here? On one hand it sounds totally absurd, naive and ridiculous but on the other hand, it has the potential to become something truly inspiring and spectacular…maybe?
Should we just stand back and watch, as it becomes a fragile empty shell?
Could you see it as an extension of Hyde Park or even transformed into something as divisive as a new Heathrow terminal?
This is London after all, and anything could happen; remember those so called ‘bendy buses?’
As for my ‘cushion quest’, it’s still on going… I’m curious to see where it takes me, what I find along the way and what would be the thing that eventually persuades me to make my decision?
