Marais

Photo by Sandro Cenni on Unsplash

Night falls late on the Rue St Antoine,

When the smells of bread and coffee are replaced by beer and meat.

The café on the Place la Bastille opens a sleepy eye

As tourists from the prison opera house file in

Seeking the peculiar blend of jazz and wine and smoke

Which give the place its fame.

But on the Pont Henri Quatre it’s quiet.

Even the Seine is resting,

Drawing strength from the peace in the hours between

A day of buses and market traders

And the Parisian night.