Today again the bees are buzzing
because the price of honey
has risen two cents on the stock exchange.
They in their hives
have already inscribed on their combs
the extent of their imperial ambitions
whereas I in my less exalted domain
am suddenly thankful
because the pain in my left foot
has mysteriously retreated
in the face of a different aggression.
Now there is a flag waving in the wind
from the tallest poll in my town
almost convincing me
that I am already living in a different country
all by myself
despite the buzz of happiness among bees.
 
You say it all comes down to appearances.
Well, I’ve changed my shirt three times today
without feeling any cleaner
while I keep wondering
if the world has gotten better
between my first shirt and the third.
The clock ticks and the minutes change
but the world remains
as it always was.
However, the pain in my foot
before it retreated
was like an enemy at the gates
and all I could think about
were the failed alliances
once armed to the teeth
and the price of crutches
that would be needed in the aftermath.