Walking to Eynsford

That you could walk
      for miles across fields
of richly tall and ripe
      barley and oats
and never cross a road
      sticking solely to public
rights of way cutting diagonally
      across the North Downs
to the medieval village
      of Eynsford

That life journey we shared
      a father with his three sons
and one of his daughters /Mary/
      who was always game for adventure
and we carried sandwiches
      and a large bottle of lemonade
and in the photos
      we took turns to wear
my father’s hat
      though it was far too big
and fitted none of us
      and never did

And on the far side of the river
      long-horned cattle grazed
and we paddled in the cold stream
      and baked under the sun
and the sound of childhood laughter
      drifted away on the summer air

John Lyons