almost sold out
the city is slowly waking up
even in this quiet summer month
i feel a few raindrops on my skin
i look up
the sky looks bright though
a pierced man with a tiger tattoo on his neck
is carrying empty bottles through the street
for the lebanese restaurant next door
the owner greets me
hey mike, how are you doing
he looks a little older than i remember
tired somehow
there is the mailman
he greets me as well
you should really put your name
on your door
he says
i still don’t
the bakery is open now
it’s rare somehow i think
or maybe i just don’t sit here usually
i get a croissant
one of the last ones
they are about to close again
almost sold out
11 am
at the bus stop near the lake
an old man sits
with a few cans of beer beside him
he blasts Fleetwood Mac
through a crappy speaker
and sings even louder
a couple looks over
they don’t bother hiding their laughter
then cross to the other side
an older woman
slightly embarrassed
looks away
but something in her softens
even the bus driver
at the wheel
doesn’t look over
just waits till it‘s time to leave
i know that song
i start singing too
a woman next to me
hums along quietly
‚thunder only happens when it’s raining‘
you judge a stranger
in seconds
a word
a gesture
the way he wears his face.
yourself,
you grant
a whole world
of reason.
he’s wearing a mask
reminds me of pandemic times
a hoody over his head
in 34 degrees
sunglasses cover the last few inches of his face
he sits in silence
looking at nobody
or i wouldn’t know better
he comes over
introduces himself as luka
tells me about his beliefs
poseidon
assassin’s creed
and how he used to do parkour
but can’t anymore
because of the meds
he asks me to roll him three cigarettes
one for every emotion he has
he puts his mask back on
takes the three cigarettes
and leaves
love in italy
there‘s a couple
falling in love again
maybe for the fourth time
i hear them laughing
she looks at him
as if he‘s the only man around.
a young policeman notices me,
he smiles, one hand resting on his gun and says
lucky are the ones who find it.
luckier still, those who keep it.