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