Coldest month through February
Snowfall for the first time seeing
Like cotton wisps
down floating
Soon the land covered in white
Rooftops trees roads sidewalks overnight
Snow snow everywhere
Time for overcoats mufflers gloves to wear
My classes September beginning
Long wait in the months coming
Driving lessons with Mr Gibson
License got after fifteen lessons
Croydon public library for reading
A good place for information gathering
At Lyons corner a cup of tea sausage roll
Tea for the British a balming of the soul
Now and then trips to London
Taking the train from Croydon
Passing Battersy power station
Its chimneys landmark to the nation
Victoria station rush hour crowded
By arrival and departure boards guided
Briefcases umbrellas bowler hatted
Office goers for taxis gathered
Museums street
singers lively bunch
India House for a good curry lunch
Indian news documentary
Nice to hear De Mello`s commentary
London amidst the crowd
Conversations never too loud
Londoners keep to themselves
Need to be self - reliant oneself
Enrolled for my course
Classes for me a good recourse
At Chelsea Polytechnic Manresa Road
For the Art School also an abode
Three years of hard study
Earning a London university degree
To language and culture awakening
Improving skills in note taking
Finchley Golder`s
Green places of stay
From college quite a long way away
An hours` ride by the underground
In London best way to get around
Golder`s Green my choice
Well away from traffic and noise
The sprawling heath close by
Under a shady tree used to lie
Into a fairy land in spring
Flowers bees and butterflies bring
Coffee at the Bamboo Expresso Bar
Marinella for lunch not too far
Holidays in the continent
In France Germany wonderful moments
As a student on a tight budget
With fruits bread cheese hardships one forgets
Germany Austria a special attraction
People with me mixed with no restriction
Munich Salzburg Strasbourg the Black Forest
With a zest for life hardworking and modest
To me a choice given
Return or stay on in Britain
On a bench at Trafalgar Square
Decided to rejoin family for whom I care
A P & O passage on the Carthage
Forwarding agents handled my luggage
Took the train to Margate
Boarded ship without too much wait
Wan Ismail a likable cabin mate
A Johore nobles Onn Jaafar`s relative
Ships first port call Bombay
With sightseeing all had a good day
Singapore at last after 20 days at sea
A pleasant homecoming for me
My parents and sister waiting
Made way to a warm welcome awaiting
My blue sea trunk in the car loaded
To Kluang slowly headed
As headmaster father’s new posting
My next move now considering
M P Prabhakar
16.7.15
P J
