Wednesday 27 January 2010

sad

You were huddled in a corner of Geneva train station. Between two pillars. Facing a wall. To avoid looks, you had turned your back to the outside world. No one could see how old you were. You could have been 20. You could have been 80. Two policemen were standing a few metres away. Thousands of people were milling around the central hall. All with something to do. Or somewhere to go to. Far too busy to see you. All you wanted to show was the back of you hunched on a wheelchair. In an exhausted waxed coat, a wild beard as long as your sadness and piles of bags with your belongings neatly attached to the sides.

Friday 22 January 2010

a life

He dropped out of bed. Trailed to the bathroom. Relieved himself. Rinsed his mouth with cold water and blew what was up his nose out into the basin. He dressed. Drank a cup of coffee. And left for a day's work.

His wife said goodbye to him.

On the way, he nodded his head to all those he knew. He knew a lot of people. He'd been walking down the same path for 37 years now. He opened his shop. Turned the lights on. Collapsed. And died.

Saturday 9 January 2010

mind the lamp post

I could see that he had had a little too much to drink. The way the tips of his shoes hesitantly fumbled with the edge of the kerb. The way his head rolled softly as though some joint had gone loose. The way the expression in his eyes was more a wild gaze than a display of clear-sightedness. Our paths met at a small crossroads. He looked round to see what it was that was heading his way in a long red coat. And he must have liked it because he turned his head a second time to have a better look and promptly walked into the lamp post which - he could have sworn - was not there moments before.

Tuesday 5 January 2010

happy new year

He took his false teeth out and sucked his gums as though he had only just discovered them. Once he had finished cleansing the inside of his mouth, he shoved his teeth back in and dealt with their positioning using the tip of his tongue. He then extracted a bottle of white wine from his bag, lifted it to his lips and drank what was left inside.

That was yesterday on the train, going back home.