129 - Today I went down to old Oxford town

Today I went down to old Oxford town,
Near the Eagle & Child where Tolkien drank.
Historic houses, colleges, light-brown
Or yellowish stone; home of student prank.
My daughter met her friends again, last seen
Before Christmas. A girl had dyed her hair.
Frenzied unpacking; creating a scene
Of life in the small room from what was bare.
Boxes of books, so heavy with wisdom,
And plastic bags with clothes, handbags and shoes
Spilled out across the floor, almost the sum
Of Pearl’s possessions; so little to lose,
But so much to gain in those student years;
The memory of them never disappears.

True account of taking my daughter to college for the start of the second term of her first year as a student.
Thur 11 Jan 2007