Paris has its own charms, including those of walk-up apartments and raspberries, says Margaret Fensom of Adelaide in a poem from her new book Landscape of Dreams.

Framboises

Framboises, rich red raspberries
Ten francs a punnet

And I who have battled
the SNCF*
also the Irish ferry company
whose people only speak French
trying to book a passage to Ireland –
I love this city, Paris, but must leave –

climb the long stairs from the Metro
past birch forest mural with pink flowers –
faint fringe of spring,
walk past open shop fronts
see them
rich red raspberries.
How can I resist?

In my room on the sixth floor
(no lift)
I eat them all,
gaze from my balcony in the roof
at the white apartments opposite
pale shutters and geranium window boxes
blooms on the balcony.

One apartment is à vendre

(Had I but wealth enough and time)

Somehow I feel at home in these streets
where people speak another language,
but for me
no fine French cooking could compare
with tart sweet ruby red fresh raspberries.

*SNCF: French National Railway Company.

Margaret Fensom of Adelaide was an original Poet’s Corner contributor in its Independent Weekly print days. In the same year, 2007, she was one of the three poets chosen for the Wakefield Press Friendly Street New Poets, Volume 12. Since then her poems, short stories and articles have appeared in various publications. Today’s poem is from her newly published Landscape of Dreams, her new first full-length collection of poetry.

Readers’ original and unpublished poems of up to 40 lines can be emailed, with postal address, to [email protected]. A poetry book will be awarded to each contributor.