The Long Trip

Tour 1 A man with blue-rinsed hair was the tour’s leader we stopped outside Edith Piaf’s former home where she was born The house is still the dwellings steps into the house were well-trod. Our leader held up a picture of the lady, a photo I had seen on YouTube, he told us a fairy tale about her goodness for a moment, I thought he was talking about a saint. We retired to a café where he sang, “La vie en rose” and forever Destroyed the most beautiful of songs. Tour 2 Fighting my way through the metro and jostling with rude commuters I found my way back where Edith was born; the street was taken over by the Chinese wedding, the brides were lovely. While sitting on the steps where Edith used to live, her voice came back to me; the offensive man with blue-rinsed hair didn’t succeed in destroying the song It was a beautiful autumnal day, Edith and I walked to a park overlooking Paris., we drank absinthe and coffee. At a safe distance, I saw the fabled Eifel tower looking old yet elegant in glorious sunlight.