The sun set over the busy St. Malo street

allowing the shadows

of the dead time

to capture the memories of all who walked along the

cobbled pavements and to make the

 haze of

childhood recollection seem infertile and bitterly cold.

The group of English, the ragtag of German, the abundance of French

badly spoken questions, bitter rivalries without the understanding

or the compassion needed to be better than they were.

The shouts and hails from vendors, a bull whip on offer,

money parted his wallet, fawned over by