By Jackie Ayala, Editor
I feel the metal railing under my fingers
on this cool June evening.
With the streetlights’ flicker
and the blue sky darkening to show the moon,
I watch the restaurants fill with the crowd.
From my Paris balcony, I’m shown multiple lives
On this Montmartre corner, only a fragment of this city
A group of friends singing and dancing,
a cat roaming the cobblestone streets,
a pair of shoes hanging on a string high above,
a too-drunk man wobbling around and saying hi to all.
My Paris balcony showed me love,
From the couple in the bookstore
to the group of women at the restaurant.
I saw love from my friends after
long nights of us standing and listening
to the music and movements of the city;
standing and admiring the Eiffel Tower from afar.
My Paris balcony showed me a new perspective of this city.
It wasn’t just what I saw in photos,
those faint lights from the boats illuminating La Seine,
ones I never could quite reach in my dreams.
The city kept moving and dancing,
footsteps and voices making up the melody.
My Paris balcony showed me beauty.
My Paris balcony showed me life.
