Charcoal City

 

You see what you want to see, what catches your eye, what fascinates you. You are in a grand city that you don’t know and it takes you by surprise. A city on the water, in the water. There are tides, boat rides, canals and lakes. Light glistens and dances all around you. There is a harbour that glimmers on the other side of the river and sounds like a distant steel factory. Above ground, the U-Bahn sings. It is a strange home. You smell water, you feel water. It starts to rain, and you wrap your coat around you more tightly as you walk on. You take a turn, first left, then right, without any idea of where you are going. November is the month the sun hides behind the grey skies and a mist flows over the river. It is dark, almost black. You can feel it in the air like charcoal. But it is not depressing, rather powerful or yet; temporarily hidden vitality.