People in Paris

Paris is so alive. The people are poetry in motion.

I love the crowds which hustle and move past you so quickly. One must move fast to keep up or get out of the way less you'll be pushed aside by someone in a hurry. Not even an "excuse me" or "sorry" will be heard so don't expect it. Instead, you'll turn to see who could have possibly been so rude and all you'll see is the toss of their scarf and their chin pointed up as if to say, "Yes, YOU got in my way so move it!"

Of course, they only "think" that in French and even though you may not speak the language to hear their thoughts, the comprehension of body language shouts clearly. One can't help but stop and turn and wonder where they are going in such a hurry. All dressed up - leather boots, tailored slacks, sunglasses, scarves, perhaps a long dark overcoat and a cigarette with a satchel of some sort tucked under them as they whisk by to catch the next Metro.

And then there's the street life commanded by the youth or young at heart. You'll see them everywhere. Dancers, musicians, mimes, singers - all with incredible talent and voices that fill the subways from morning till night. Some of the best talent can be found around 1 a.m. down below in the subways. You'll hear them echoing down the tunnels and as you approach, the talent grows stronger and louder. They sing their hearts out, playing their instruments drawing a crowd only so they can hear the music they desire to hear...the sound of clinking coins as those who pass by chip in a few euros for their next meal.

And above ground - there too you will find them. Perhaps at the Louvre, on the Champs-Elysees or in front of Notre Dame a curious crowd will form as a group of street dancers set up. They beckon the crowds with their boom boxes and baggy, stylish clothes; flexing and stretching their limber bodies as the crowd begins to gather. Within minutes they're each taking turns entertaining the crowds with their own personal version of the latest break-dance moves. By the way, you'll want to watch your personal belongings for this is the haven a pick-pocket lurks in while the dancers have you mesmerized.

You'll run into every walk of life on the Parisian streets. Beggars, tourists, locals, military, workers, the young and the old. But without a doubt, the ones who will stop you in your tracks are the lovers of romance. Paris was formed around that one moment in time when all the world stops and two lovers gaze passionately into each others eyes. Nothing else matters except that one kiss or that one embrace which releases the fire of passion. You'll see it everywhere. Perhaps in a park where two lovers leisurely walk hand-in-hand. You may even see it in a cafe, as the waiters rush to fill the orders of crowds waiting all about them, there you'll see them whispering and smiling in a corner table oblivious to their surroundings. Or you may find it on a bridge, in the subway, or at a corner stop-light amidst a crowd the public display of deep affection is simply an every day occurrence. Young love filled with infatuation and anticipation or mature love that runs deep knowing every touch of the soul....it's all there.

"Je serai poete et toi poesie." A most romantic quote by Francis Coppee which means, "I'll be a poet and you'll be poetry."