Love Letter to London

(Despite the anti-immigration protests)

I’m hoping it’s fringe

You can’t blame me for not taking you seriously

After spending two hundred years in my land

I like seeing people all around me

Of different ethnicities, backgrounds and nationalities

One is a kid rushing to soothe a stranger’s dog

The other is a retired do-gooder, encouraging community

There’s the ticket seller who says it’s ok to exit the platform an hour sooner

And the sous-chef who asks if you’d like to try his cookie

There’s the coder who invites you to a pooja at her house

And the chess player who agrees to an interview at short notice

There’s the thespian who surprises you with her directing skills

And the marketer who doesn’t see merit in a marketing course

There are teenage cyclists, three friends glued together, having a good time

And the classmate who knits killer scarves

Two students carry their two-seater to yours

And shrug off all gratitude, all in a day’s work

There’s noise all around you

Which is oddly comforting

And home a half day’s travel away

(Thank God for beating-you-to-it time zones)

But most of all, there is freedom

More than any city I have seen or lived in

To be out and about

To walk, explore, meetup, learn, travel, create

To sit back and relax with old friends and new

To spend days discovering new green spaces

Each more inviting than the next

To be the most bustling of cities

Chock-a-block with events

Yet make a person so accustomed to being surrounded by people

Learn to trust her own voice

And enjoy her own company

To have the prettiest destinations a stone’s throw away

To let a local pub feel familiar

To have third spaces that nourish your mind and soul

To warm a house with family and friends

And build a corner to occupy your place in the world