Eavesdropping

The Fosse, Castle Green, Hereford

1.
The gasp of delight from MrsM
when she sees this view out of her hotel bedroom.

2.
A champagne cork explodes out of the bottle
hits a lamp shade,
and then ricochets into the ice bucket
with a splash.

3.
Reverberations from the Cathedral organ.

4.
A man at the next table says
"I put my aftershave on
and then I tried to put my contact lenses in
but it really made my eyes sting."
MrM murmurs
"Should have put your brain in first, mate."

5.
Church bells in the early morning.

6.
A mother singing Frere Jacques to her daughter
as they cycle through empty Sunday streets.

7.
Dusty silence in a village church.

8.
The young waitress persuading us to try
homemade lime cheesecake.
"It is delicious" she promised.
It was.

9.
Laughter from the elderly museum guide
as we try to guess what the mysterious object is.

10.
Listening to the decisive penalty kicks
through the hiss and fade of
a car radio with appalling reception.

11.
A squeaky yawn from tiny Maisie,
a very precious new daughter
for our friends, Graham & Ursula.

12.
The sigh of despair from MrsM
when she realises that her camera battery is flat.