the long walk

The long walk (Serra de Estrella)

Crossing from France to Portugal, my car got stuck
in the snow, on the mountain of Sierra de Estrella
It was the year when much snow fell, but I walked on
coming down, I felt like Moses and his tablets.
It was getting warmer; the first to go was my coat
and tie, later my trousers jacket
Over Alentejo, it was hot; I traded my trousers with
a tramp who gave me his shorts and sandals.
When I arrived in Vilamoura, I was stopped by the police
and asked who I was. “English, I Said.” “No, you are not.”
“Yes, I’m” “No, you are not a proper English man
who will always wear socks with his sandals.”