A New Day 1970 Poem by Terry Collett

We stopped
for a short while
at Orleans,
after passing through Paris
in the early hours
by coach.

Miriam lifted her head
from my lap
and looked out
of the window:
where are we?
She said.

Orleans,
I said.

I feel a drag,
I must have
gone off
into a deep sleep,
she said.

You did,
I said,
I dozed off,
but you
were well away.

O Benny
you should
have woken me,
it must have been
uncomfortable for you
with me
sleeping on you.

The music on the coach
was some Mozart piece;
others moved about
around us.

Just for an hour,
then we must
move on,
the driver said.

Let's go find a cafe
and have a coffee
and croissants,
she said.

So we did
(after she had
brushed her red
haired head) .

We found a cafe
and ordered
and sat down
by a window;
others were
there already.

What do you think
of it so far?
I said.

It's good,
but I am so tired,
she said,
I could sleep
for a week.

Well it would
save you
on food money,
but a bit
boring for me,
I said.

She smiled;
I guess so,
she said.

We drank
our coffees
and ate
our croissants,
and went out
to look around
and have a smoke.

We sat on a bench
for a few minutes
before returning
to the coach.

She kissed me
and I kissed her.

Best get back,
she said,
taking my hand;
I felt a tingle
go through me
stirring my fellow.

So we went back
to the coach,
and sat in our seat,
and the coach
started up,
and moved away.

It was good start
of a new day.