Colours of London

Crisp autumn leaves of all sizes
Yellow, orange and brown cartwheels
Along grey concrete
Dance past my slow feet
Towards a destination
Dictated by the wind

A nun dressed in black
Stark contrast to
The colours of my hijab
Acknowledges me with
A warm knowing smile
Our love for God binding us

Four young women
Hailing from regions afar
Talk of their customs back home
Over noodle soup and pad Thai
Their animated ambitious faces lit up
By the hanging lantern above

An African man wearing a black skull cap
His bright ethnic clothes his stamp
A short woman, yellow handkerchief scarf
Selwar kameez and pale skinned heels
They walk side by side
Too close to feel like strangers

The next train is approaching
So many differences yet
We move in unison
Heads bent and plugged in
Thumbs tapping, index fingers scrolling
Minding our business while minding the gaps

Soft centred souls of all sizes
White, brown and black strides
Along the grey concrete
Dart past my hungry eyes
Towards a destination
Dictated by our hopes

© Rabia Bashir 2014 All Rights Reserved

6 thoughts on “Colours of London”

  1. Lovely! good job in how you made each description short yet full & complete. Nice depth in telling the diversity & unity of the different types of people.

    1. Thank you all! Wasn’t expecting such great feedback – funny how you think you haven’t done your best but your readers think otherwise! I LOVE London and this poem reflects why…

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