Wednesday, January 24, 2007

paris . . . quatre



doorways.

it's not a new idea
to say that
life is a
series
of doorways.

if i were
to show you
the doors
of all your
old apartments,
your parent's home...
the job you hated...
the lover you lost
they would
have a strong
significance
because,
i think,
we rarely linger
in doorways...
we pass through
or
walk on by.

sometimes
we linger
for a moment.

this day
in paris
was packed
with significance
because of
a series
of
doorways.

come on in.

. . . . .



we went
to where
my mother
lived
in paris,
just off
champs elysées...



we snuck in...



and into the
courtyard...



then inside

and up



up



up
the
old stairs



to the
very tip top
floor

we're home.


{her place
has
the doormat}

it wasn't
as nice
when
she lived there.
no fancy
red carpet...
not even a bathroom
{down the hall}
or kitchen
{hot plate}
she said a whole
family lived
across
the hall there...

but now
it's much
fancier...
too close
to
everything
to be left
for students.

then
down



down



down...

and
another doorway



and out.

. . . . .

later this
same evening
we went
to another
place
that
i hold dear
to my heart....
but that's
for
tomorrow.

à bientôt,
xo

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wow, that was really nice. Thank you for the tour. The way you cropped your pictures and words moved me through those spaces so well.

Anonymous said...

It all seems very memorable and personal- amazing. Thanks for sharing your trip, Gwen.

Anonymous said...

wonderful...when i studied Int. design many yrs ago, we had a session on this idea of a 'journey' you go through...door, arches, courtyard, stairs, corridors...your post really reminded me of this and i love that...this is your mums journey back in time...great post!xxx

Anonymous said...

Gwen, you are so poetic. How nice of you to be able to share these moments, memories with your mum. Doorways to new worlds, past life. I'm certainly enjoying following you on your walks.

amisha said...

thank you for taking us on this walk with you through your mother's doorways... beautiful.

Erin Lang Norris said...

very cool tour of doorways! this will be a great memory for you, i'm sure.

Vanessa/NessieNoodle said...

this is an amazing post... I was totally hypnotized by the words and the photos...
stumbled over here from Mommy Moshpit's site. so glad I did!

Austen said...

I'm so enjoying the recollections of your trip and the way they're reverberating in my own life. Thank you for sharing them. Doorways...yes, yes. Great.

lisa solomon said...

doors and windows, light and shadow... past and present

that red hallway - like a movie. kubrik would approve.... xoxo

Anonymous said...

I loved this post... just like a little short story. The format of your blog is beautiful

Anonymous said...

I'm a little late, but never the less I've loved visiting Paris with you and your mum. What a fantastic time you had.