Cerys Gadsden muses on memory and nostalgia in two of her poems, Inspired and CAMDEN BLOODY TOWN.

Inspired

City walks that feel crisp and warm,
Our shared laughter on a late evening,
Somewhere in Northern Italy; colossal yet calm.
My mum and dad distantly speaking,
Coming home from a cold journey,
Catching feelings for a stranger ‘way too early’.
Holding the humans I love,
Looking for stars above,
Watching colour dip in shot.
Echoes of fictional conversations trail behind me,
What cake do you want, Cerys? 
I want the lot.
Remembering past smiles and the smell of Earl Grey tea,
Plaiting my hair into a beautiful knot,
Stroking the fluffy creatures I own.
Listening to romance, pain, sadness, happiness,
As I walk home, frozen or melting,
Losing my thoughts in the crowded craziness
Of drunken nights,
Watching my cats fight.
Conversing to the heavens as I close my eyes,
These are some of the things that make me fine,
Fine and inspired
With the emotions and memories I carry in:
My calculated, free, twirling, soft, strong, confused spirit.

CAMDEN BLOODY TOWN

I got on the wrong train today,
Meaning I had to wait,
Trains thundered past,
Saw a guy with an untucked arse,
Feeling the nostalgic humour of the place.

We finally meet standing in Stratford aisle,
Masks taped over our faces, hiding our smiles,
The train, a 70s caramel movie set,
Senses of weed and overused ket…
Arriving in Camden bloody Town.

Unsafe streets, yet I still persisted-
The drunk punk never misses it!
Although she didn’t seem impressed,
Particularly by the dust and stifling incense,
So we left to seek the shops that cost too much.

Chopsticks betrayed me at the restaurant,
Then Regents Park seemed more the spot,
The stripy guy swished his skateboard,
And the man’s chat up line failed any applause.
I liked people watching.

The street and the circus, 
Crowded by glitz and grunge,
Finally we gave up and took the plunge
On the red train,
Sweating mascara puddles,
Tryna squeeze,
Past the Wednesday bustle.
They read, they sat, they stared, yet
On the train home you seemed a little less scared.

I don’t know if I liked Camden
But I’m still glad we planned it.

Artwork by Anna-Beth Brogan.