Thanks Glenn, Susan, Jim and Joe.
Joe has interpreted it correctly. (You are a very good close reader, Joe!) Any ambiguities that have misled Glenn, Susan and Jim aside are clearly my fault, but I am glad that Joe has shown it is not completely misleading.
I know the sliding door is now a bit of a cliché, but my confident memory is that the snug of the Bridge really did have a sliding door in those days. Which is convenient for me. (It's all rooted in reality, folks!)
And yes, it was such a pivotal moment. I was very happy in the Netherlands, and had not thought of returning home so soon, but we weren't far into our negotiations when I realised that this was non-negotiable.
This is a rare example of a poem that I have written for a particular purpose, as part of a larger structure. I'm putting together a collection of my IOM poems - part-chronological and part-thematic - and I needed something to demarcate what was essentially before my leaving from what came essentially after my return. This, I hope, will serve as that hinge. I could add "(1983-1987)", but do I need to?
I have lifted the title from somewhere else, of course, but it seems (to me) perfect for my purpose.
Sorry for banging on at such length about all that.
Cheers all
David
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