The Winds Of Change (Poetry)

For Silvia

It’s odd now
she is gone
the quiet soul who lived
at number twenty-one
moved away quite suddenly
because she couldn’t stand
the neighbour down below her —
a noisy Irishman

We didn’t know her well
even after all this time
not far short of thirty years
and it’s hard to define
exactly what it is we feel
when passing her front door
now some strange person’s living
where she always was before

She never gave her new address
but went for a clean break
we would have sent a Christmas card
at least for old time’s sake
by now she must have settled in —
new flat, new neighbours, too
we’re in her past and she’s in ours
the winds of change blow through