5th of April 2025

…

Sounds and the City shines

Mankind reflects.

Must have noise cancelling headphones

Must wear sunglasses underground

…

Pop to McDonalds to kill time 

Ambient aware

Taps on a screen, bleep on a card machine

Waiting in a hurdle of tipsy sheep

And the sizzling of frying oil

The server calls a number

The server calls a number

Paper bags pass from hand to hand

Hungry eyes follow every movement

The server calls a number

Bike courier hurries in

Bike courier hurries out

The server calls a number

Someone doesn’t listen,

Someone drops gossip, someone giggles

The server calls a number

And just like that – a snack

…

Aand I’m about to miss my connection. Dammit!

Ah, nah, it’s all good

It’s ten minutes behind 

It’s written on the board. Fine.

I anticipate boredom

Quick – grab a video, a podcast, a music

Anything loud!

I want peace

…

On the 181 I turn it down

I could have done without it

It left a weird taste in my mouth

And I’m still peckish 

I wonder where everyone is going

If they feel the same way that I do

Perhaps it is just part of life,

Something to sit through.

“Thank you driver!”

…

A late night visit to the laundry room

Another resident put my clothes through 

Thanks, sorry again I was out

Warm air and yellow light

Flushes from the tumbler 

As I reach inside the drum

For a moment I find heaven

Power off.

…

It’s 5 am and I’m not done dreaming

A shrieking siren

Turn it down please…

Blue light pulse the curtain

A little dance on my ceiling

It’s not a rave

It’s the fire brigade

The lady next door sounds..

Annoyed.

At least her alarm has gone silent 

I smell no burning 

One firefighter is waiting in the truck

scrolling his phone in the driver’s seat

I go back to bed.

…

This time of year 

marks the coming of hedge trimmers

The neighbour bolts out of bed

9 am on a Saturday!

She howls across the road

They awoke me, too, you know

But what can you do

I’m not done dreaming

…

First there was the Word 

 and the Word was ‘God’

….

First there was the Word 

And the Word was ‘Big Bang’

……

First there was the Word

And the Word was ‘the cry of a newborn baby’

…

All begins with sound

But

When

  WHEN 

Do we get the chance to speak? 

Sounds and the city shines

Mankind reflects.

photo by Tom Whyte https://www.pexels.com/photo/london-at-night-10392335/