Double vision

A quiet day in the city
Not so long ago
I walked the streets of Brisbane
G20 Summit bare of people

My eyes and mind alive
My memory of past years roused
And painted pictures of  old scenes over new
Showing streets and buildings and people now gone

I remember the old Regent
Ancient leather seats with creaky springs
A smell of popcorn in the air and old carpet
The red velvet curtain that bounds the screen

Everything seemed smaller
There was excitement in the air
The shops, the people, the tea rooms
Full of cakes and special treats

Even with my double vision
I cannot find what's lost
Perhaps it is not the city
But a childhood now long gone