Photo: a rainy day in Mapua, one always feels a little lonely.
I walked through the puddles thinking of you this morning, raincoat on, going down the hill, meeting no one. Seeing very little. What do you think of this journey around my land, around my mind? Of my to-and-fro from the kitchen to the work table? On days with cold feet, I think only of my little warm corner.
photo : un jour de pluie à Mapua, on se sent toujours un peu seul.
J’ai marché dans les flaques en pensant à toi, ce matin, manteau de pluie, descendre en bas de la colline, ne croiser personne. Ne pas voir grand-chose. Que penses-tu de ce voyage autour de ma terre, autour de ma tête ? De mon va-et-vient de la cuisine à la table de travail ? Les jours de pieds froids, je ne songe qu’à mon petit coin chaud.
photo: tea tree (tea plantation) Mapua. Some days, I have the energy to read the day’s news, and other days, I prefer to watch the tea tree flowers bloom.
Breathe very deeply
in order to face the world
well, maybe tomorrow
photo : arbre à thé (théier) Mapua. Certains jours, on a la force de lire les infos du jour et d’autres, on préfère regarder l’éclosion des fleurs de l’arbre à thé.
Respirer a fond
pour voir le monde en face
peut-être demain
photo: well, of course, there are ways to have a peacefull walk in the morning, like this heron. Otherwise…
running into someone on the city sidewalks (or the pitfalls of a solitary morning walk) is a trickier exercise than it seems. Starting with my morning outing, which coincides with the arrival of high school students near my home. Young girls (only girls, in that school) climb the hill in groups of three or four, very busy telling each other what happened in their lives since they parted the day before. They make no effort to avoid me. So, for a long time, I would jump into the street when they got close. Then, one day, I got fed up and decided to keep walking until they approached, to force them to give me a bit of space, and we eventually came to an understanding. But it doesn’t end there; I encounter other people along the way, those who look down, those who switch sidewalks, those who smile shyly, and a few others with broad smiles who wish me a great day. There are also strangers who are dying to confide their secrets to me, but I resist because I need to spend quality time with myself at the start of the day. And all of this happens under the guise of a solo morning walk, which sometimes turns into a social acrobatics exercise.
