TRAVEL VIGNETTE : FIRST PLACE

Charlotte Parker

Everywhere I looked , people were carrying flowers . The jock . The grandmother . The child . The soldier . The teenager . The young mother . The elderly man . It seemed almost everyone had a bouquet .

I joined the steady stream of mourners as we walked into the square at the Victoria Monument . Just a few months prior Queen Elizabeth II stood for the last time on the balcony of Buckingham Palace while pageantry and fireworks celebrated her Platinum Jubilee . Now the balcony stood empty . The revelry was silent . The eyes of the world were fixed on the unfolding events following the passing of Her Majesty .

The palace gates seemed a cold backdrop to grief . Over the days since her death , floral tributes had been laid at this fence . Soon it was apparent that the square was being overwhelmed , so each flower had been carefully transported to nearby Green Park . I witnessed a city worker tenderly lift bouquets and carry them to his small truck for the move . His actions were achingly respectful .

On entering Green Park , the river of the sorrowful had broken into tributaries while people thoughtfully moved around the massive islands of bouquets . An overarching sacred quietness enveloped the space . I bent down to read notes of affection tucked among the flowers . No music played . No speeches were given . There was not even a lingering sweet fragrance from the flowers . The simple carnation , the sunflower , the rose , and the hydrangea joined together in silent tribute .

I wandered out of the park with mist-filled eyes . I had come with arms full and now I was leaving empty handed . As I walked in a fog , I found myself a few blocks away at The Mall . It was sequestered from the usual traffic to the palace . There was a single crosswalk available . As I crossed the street , I turned and stole a photo of the naked corridor lined with flags before being shooed away by the security guards . In a matter of days , The Mall would host the Queen on her final journey .

By late afternoon I was back in our flat . I was watching the traffic below when I looked up and saw it . A double rainbow stood in the eastern sky . The teardrop prism encircled London like heavenly arms extended to comfort a country in grief . I was immersed in the grief of a nation and felt the shifting sands underfoot . It was a profound privilege .

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