wings

the city, it
never seems to sleep,
on summer nights like this
neither can i.

i peel off layer by layer
sit under the bedroom window
trying to coax a breeze
to blow against the nape
of my neck.

the humidity raises daily
and i am
in the air-conditioned house
looking out,
wondering why as i grow older
the world seems to only be getting
smaller,
the list of the things i can’t do,
can’t afford,
grows with me.

the walls of my nest continue to push in
and i decide to paint over the
white with green.
the colour of grass,
trees, and life.

the city is a crazybeautiful place
my feet are steady as i learn to
navigate its streets
but i do allow myself to be
marooned for a short while
in tiny shops,
indulge for once in the buying of a trinket
or two.

my heart beat matches
the pace of my footsteps on the sidewalks full of litter
for a short moment,
i am not alone.