On Carnaby Street

Men, I collect, it’s my thrill.
Not any man for
I’m a discerning bird
as if choosing a vase
to flame out with poppies
I check all the angles
and critical jawline
look good when we stroll
hand in hand in
tie-dye & bell bottoms.

You, I first glimpsed
on Carnaby Street
shortly after the Beatles burst —
It was wildness
there— wildness everywhere,
everyone hoping to spot a stray Beatle.

So there you were & so was I and
all I had was a little hotel map
crunched.
Street names and lanes
creased beyond readability.

Digby Beaumont

Digby Beaumont is an artist and a writer. In his art, as in his writing, he is always exploring the idea of how best to produce some emotional response to the work He is a self-taught artist. An interview with him about his art plus a showcase of some of his portraiture feature in the November 2019 issue of the online journal, Tupelo Quarterly. As a short fiction writer his work has been published in numerous print and online literary journals and anthologies. His collection of flash fiction, one-page stories, Dancing Alone and Other Lessons, was released in early 2020. Digby has also published numerous English language textbooks with Heinemann and Macmillan, including international bestsellers. He lives by the seaside on the south coast of England. You can see more of his work on his website: https://digbybeaumont.com/