21/04/2020
All the World's a Balcony
Stuck in our beehives,
But hardly feeling like Queen Bees.
Outside, an invisible predator lurks in plain sight.
We spent our mornings looking out forlornly
Met with nothing but harsh sunlight
bouncing off the windowpane.
With nowhere else to run or hide
you step out onto our last refuge, the balcony,
Our stage to this alien world.
Something awakens in you.
You hear a voice of an angel
It’s your neighbor’s impromptu karaoke session
It’s throwback 80s themed! You belt out Bon Jovi
at the top of your lungs
A saxophone’s tunes melt away our worries
We stomp and romp to a distant DJ
Twirl to some soaring salsa beats
Say good afternoon to our neighbors,
up and down, left and right
Marvel at a distant cry of a baby
A primal scream that we all feel
Happy anniversary for the happy couple upstairs,
Cheers to that, I’ll pop some champagne
A toast to us, those who still live to see the sun
Dip into the ocean at the end of today.
At night, a symphony of clapping hands crescendos
across the city
A thunderous applause for those fighting the good fight.
In the pitch dark, we spot the silhouettes
of our fellow humanity,
Dotting each balcony
Their smiles, their heartbeats, their fire - you can’t see them,
but you feel it.
Then, all is quiet and calm again.
You stand still, alone with your thoughts
and retreat from the stage. Curtains close.
Tomorrow a new act begins, again.
- 18 April 2020