Airports
To and fro
Hustle and bustle
Noise
Filth
Restless spirits
Tired luggage
Book readers
iPad screens
My thoughts are already inflight
The din of voice
Arguing, persuading, selling
Little bits of self dangling
Off a hook
Bait and bite
Wheels and wings
Are you headed back or away
Work or play
Or in an inbetween limbo
Of nowhere really
My mind bubble might burst
I already have a headache
He stands in the Burger King queue
I buy tulip bulbs as souvenirs
A woman yells at her kid to stop it
Wailing ensues
Where do we go from here – you and me
The faster we run the further we get
Faraway to the see the other
To then see ourselves
Juxtaposed
The other – me – us
Differences and similarities
Pros and cons
The tourist gaze
The historian spirit
Poet, researcher, mother
Paradox, pointless, purposeful
If you dig deep you reach the mantle
The core is even beyond
The vertical journey
The horizontal stretch
Yellow caution
The flight is delayed by 15 minutes
A man pushes for free beverage vouchers
Disinterested gaping
A map, a hat in a huddle
I hug my backpack
You notice how everything is strapped down in flight
To hold it in place
Zero casualty is a good score
I travel light
Not always
I have paid heavily for excess baggage
He smiles
I have vertigo
And me
Yes you
That too
—
On my way
