an old man
sits in a park
all by himself
in the early afternoon

he sings old classics
with his eyes squeezed shut

a microphone
some kind of music box
and nobody else around

his voice sounds like
an old woman from the fifties

his face doesn’t match the voice

i sing along
to the few songs i know

then go my way

and he

he never even noticed
i was there

my neighbour

leaves the house

her kid on a balance bike

he can‘t be more than three

barely walking

but racing on this plastic thing

like he owns the world

he looks over

wants me to race him

his mom tells him

to not bother me now

i don‘t mind

and start racing the kid

i let him win

he laughs

we race again

this time it‘s close

i saw him this afternoon
walking
one shoe in his hands

something happened?
i ask

he doesn’t really want to tell

later
the street has slowed down

it’s a weekend town
dead quiet at night
people need to get up early
so it seems

he’s passing through again
this time
without any shoes
only in his socks

the same route
the same quick hi
the same look

like only strangers do
who see each other every day

the only two people
strolling at whatever ungodly hour

nothing to prove

he did say
he starts working soon again

some program
repairing the city’s bikes

maybe soon
it will be only me
strolling through the dead of night

he has to get up early too

it’s late

the city lights turned black

i don’t remember the city

feeling so empty

i let my thoughts linger

and wonder if they are my allies

i start talking to the only person

i can see

somehow we get to

dostoevski and carl jung

he works in construction

but is well read

i listen

neither ally

nor stranger

she used to dance

she tells me

while she casually unloads her car

back in the day

every thursday night

she’s a bit too old for it now

i tell her i don’t really dance

but she could show me some steps

to a song she likes

she turns the car radio on

send the rain is blasting

she looks around

tells me she’s had complaints

from the neighbours before

and it’s late

i look at her

and hope she turns it up even more

i don’t know if i remember

she says

if not

make something up

i wouldn’t know anyway

she gets in front of her car

it looks new and old at the same time

like it’s been around

but kept clean and in shape

she starts with some steps

i join in

not as easy as i thought

i laugh

i try

we sing

send the rain