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April in Paris: a free verse poem

Heather Carr-Rowe (Sgeoil) wears the Poet of the Week’s crown for this week’s W3 Poetry Prompt. These are her prompt guidelines:

Heather’s prompt guidelines
•Write a poem about… April!
What comes to mind when you think of the month of April? 
Draw from your memories, your five senses, activities you associate with the month… go wherever this prompt takes you!

My poem is an April memory. Andrew and I went to spend a few romantic days in April in Paris… but we went in March.

April in Paris

Cathedral de Notre Dame de Paris | Interior | Digital ink and watercolour©️Lesley Scoble

“April in Paris,” you said,
Instead, you took me to Paris in March.
We strolled hand in hand along by the Seine,
and we strolled hand in hand back again.
We kissed under an arch,
Then fancied a drink, we were parched.
 
In a Paris Street café,
We partook croissant and coffee, and a je ne sais pas.
I tried my French and ordered ‘un chat’.
They looked at me funny,
Ordering a chocolate cannot be strange,
Can it?
We exchange glances and laugh.

We explored everywhere around the old Paris town,
 (we did nothing by half)
 The Eiffel Tower, 
The Tuileries,
Montmartre, 
Art at the Louvre,
All the churches—
Église Saint-Eustache,
Basilique du Sacré-Cœur,
La Sainte-Chapelle,
Notre Dame,
(shame it burned down)

We meandered through the old streets,
Climbed up and down steps.
A street busker played the tune, 
April in Paris,
on the harp.
We were hungry and looked at a restaurant map.
on the grid and a graph,
Time for some treats
(I could eat a giraffe!).

We dine with a carafe of wine,
An accordion was playing a familiar refrain…
The song was April in Paris,
which reminded me again…
“April in Paris,” you said,
Instead, you took me to Paris in March.
~

Lesley Scoble, April 2024

“A street busker played the tune, April in Paris, on the harp.”

A Parisian harpist busker | Photo©️Lesley Scoble

March in Paris

NOTES

March in Paris
Paris in March was wonderful!
In 2020, we planned our longed for trip to Paris in April. We all know what happened in 2020, don’t we?—so I still haven’t been to Paris in April!

Notre Dame
My painting of part of the interior of Notre Dame is sketched from a photo that I took on our visit to Paris. I loved looking up at the candle chandelier and the stained glass windows (it was worth the crick in the neck).

Fire
Not long after visiting the Notre Dame, a fire destroyed a large part of the roof and the spire (flèche) on the 15th of April 2019.
After extensive reconstruction, they expect to reopen Notre Dame in December this year.

April in Paris
April in Paris was a song written for the musical revue, Walk a Little Faster, staged in 1933. Music by Vernon Duke, and lyrics by E. Y. Harburg.
Doris Day sang it in the film April in Paris, 1952.

Dans un jardin de Paris

In a Paris garden | Photo: Andrew Perkin

Aurevoir, mes amis, et bon chance!

Before you go, you might like to enjoy Doris Day singing “April in Paris” in the 1952 film, April in Paris…

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Thank you, Heather, for your inspiring prompt. Merci beaucoup!
Thank you as always, David, The Skeptics Kaddish, for hosting your motivating W3 Prompts.

Lesley lives in the City of London Square Mile. An artist, actor and sculptor (her first ceramic sculpture won the V&A inspired by… Award). Scenic artist & book illustrator, playwright (her musical play, Rapscallion performed in inner city schools and theatre school); TV dancer; Animator and illustrator for TV production. Set up Pinecone Studios Ltd and IIMSI Ltd drama and filmmaking workshops in London – producing award-winning films made by children.

lesleyscoble

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38 responses to “April in Paris: a free verse poem”

  1. Beautiful rendered poem in emotion and experiences, Lesley. You pack so much hard work and detail into your shares. Truly amazing sharing. Thank you.
    P.S. There are many buildings/churches on my bucket list. But ther is only one city on my bucket list: Paris!

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  8. Your sketch is beautiful. So sad about Notre Dame. I’ve been watching a documentary on the reconstruction and it really is extraordinary. I don’t think the month matters. We were there in August and it was cool and rained a bit but hey… it’s Paris!

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  13. I felt you strolling through Paris in this poem, so relaxed and enjoying each moment! I think Paris in March seems rather grand, who needs April! Oh, I so wish I had your talent for drawing. There is an emotion in it that a camera just doesn’t always capture.

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