Where he’s from is none of our business, folks!

 

In plain sight, on main view

Chilling out, the man is soaking up the sun

Breathing a fresh air, alone

He’s not hiding what we all know could mean without knowing

Why, since when, until when

And what other restrictions

Are attached to his case, like the tool wrapped around

His shoe, his ankle, and his sock

Forbidden to be removed

Until further notice, or a shock

 

Maybe he’s awaiting

To be brought forth a judge

Maybe we fear he won’t show up

His impeccable smile makes him look like he could get away with anything

And afford to take off to anywhere, on a whim

 

Maybe he’s restrained

From someone, some places, like the sort

Where children gather, or his exes linger

 

I didn’t get a chance to ask.

It would have been preying.

I wanted to be a set of ears, unconcerned by who he is

He said I could sit with him, but refused the conversation

After I left, he remained, chilling

In plain sight, on main view

 

Until two teachers passed him by, guarding a flock of tiny humans

Something clicked in the man

I cannot nor should I assume what not

 

The minute the flock was gone, so was the man

I saw him stand up, look at the sun, then at the flock

And walk towards the opposite direction

 

I know why he was there: he was chilling.

Now that he’s done, the man is gone.

 

Picture the scene, imagining the worst

Make up your mind, go wild and blind

Don’t go gently into the ugly light

Assume the man is just about anyone

 

With a versatile built, neither pitifully weak nor admirably strong

A gentle look, matching his pretty face, nice outfit, and beautifully shining hair

He’s got a lot of a teddy bear

 

Except he’s anything but kind

Make up your mind, go wild and blind!

Now that your mind went wild and blind

Now that you made it up

 

And filled your spirit of your worst-case scenario

Let the feelings take over: let it flow, let it flow!

 

No need to hold it back any longer

Go ahead, it’s in your head: Judge a stranger!

By his looks and his ankle, i.e. by his cover

 

 

Don’t you worry, that’s not sinning. You don’t know the guy and have not seen him

You’re judging a hypothetical stranger, you’re not offending anyone.

 

Maybe the guy was an actor

He certainly looked like someone

Who could be recognized

I suspect that’s why he politely told me to back off

My intentions didn’t matter. He’s my muse, I’m the artist. I get to write just whatever

I can imagine what I want, and so can you! Go ahead and tell yourself who he is

With one new condition.

As I was sitting next to the man and we soaked up the sun next to each other for a few minutes, imagine that in his head he was quietly singing the following songs:

 

1 – "Soak up the sun", by Sheryl Crow

You heard it!

Picture your worst-case scenario, chilling out like Sheryl Crow

 

If it makes the feelings worse, go with the flow!

Can’t hold it back anymore?

I’ll tell you what. There’s nothing wrong with that.

 

If you assume a man has done

Something triggering you in your most abject nightmare

Then imagining him chilling out

Soaking up the sun

Singing in his head on some Sheryl Crow

Will challenge you in your freedom

Since you can think whatever of the man

He too can keep his head up high

And think and feel whatever he wishes

 

He’s not hurting anybody, and if you cannot wrap your head around that truth

Know that your worst nightmare is hurting you, until you come up to a truce

With the hypothetical man triggering you

 

 

2- "Don’t stop me now", by Queen

Picture the scene:

Your worst-case scenario is as unapologetic as Queen!

 

Right in the middle of their 21 year-long adventure

9 years after their formation, 2 years after “We Will Rock You" and "We Are the Champions"

12 years before Freddie Mercury made his announcement and final farewell

That’s when Queen wrote "Don’t stop me now", in 1978

 

That’s how the hypothetical man is feeling

 

Imagine that the hypothetical man triggering you is as famous as he looked

And that despite what he has done or is suspected to have done

That warranted an electronic bracelet on his ankle

The man is still in his prime. He’s doing his time. He’s waiting patiently.

 

And he declined a conversation with a stranger because he frankly would rather

Be left alone, while he’s enjoying a beautiful day, singing in his head like he’s Freddie Mercury

So when some random lady approached him and said she’d like to have a convo with him

He wanted her to go away and let him be.

He told her so, politely, like would have Freddie Mercury

“Like a tiger, defying the laws of gravity”, he’s complying to court orders, so he’s chilling

Not hurting anyone, but hoping that the lady would leave him alone, not stopping

Him now

 

The man is having such a good time, he’s even having a ball

 

And I was disrespectful, in a way

Since it was intrusive of me to assume

He would be so lonely that he would appreciate my company

When all I really was doing to the guy was use him as my muse

 

I left him apologizing, because I had the freedom to do so

What led him to wear that thing is none of my business, so striking a convo

To feed my curiosity is where I was about to cross the line of privacy

While holding above his head my worst-case scenario

I’ll try to work on what belongs to my own radio

Singing my tunes in my own heart

Refraining from judging, and correcting course when I realize I’m doing so

Since as far as I’m concerned, the man was simply soaking up the sun

 

With all due respect, I’ll meditate, before I dare sing once again that:

“I'm gonna soak up the sun

I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up

I'm gonna tell 'em that I've got no one to blame

For every time I feel lame, I'm lookin' up

I'm gonna soak up the sun

I'm gonna soak up the sun”

 

***

Savato Kiriako, more often than not, happy to strike a convo