City Life // I Can't Breathe // But You're Still Beautiful

It's the clapping of flip flops on cement sidewalks, the soundtrack of sirens and impatient car horns. It's the number of passerbys that I can't even count, the long lines and building anticipation. It's the clicking of the shutter, again and again, all of this must be captured...I want to capture it, but I can't. It's the faint cry of homeless individuals and the sight of troubled souls. It's the tourists and the locals, the confident and the lost. It's the little feet trying to keep up and catching rides on shoulders. It's the important conversations that try to take place, but are all too soon interrupted by something trivial.

It's the lurking pigeons mooching off of outdoor diners, making a living off of the kids and carefree persons that find enjoyment in their existence. It's that small window of opportunity, when the light turns and you, the rushed pedestrian, have a chance to finally cross, with less likelihood of being pancaked by that yellow cab.

It's the jokes exchanged between bites, the laughter you just can't seem to get enough of. It's the reflection of clouds in dirty puddles...a painted picture out of filth...ugly made beautiful. It's those tall buildings that remind you you're so small, those massive clocks screaming mixed messages for different lives..."You're late," or "Take your time." It's those sketchy characters that intrigue you and make you nervous, it's those ordinary souls that leave you just as curious...what's their story? It's that sound of the small boats on calm waves...clap, clap, clap. It's the edge of the city with a bay inbetween, then city on the other side. Noise, peace, noise again.

What is it about this place that leaves me with such a bittersweet aftertaste? I love it, but I want to leave it. It's beautiful and yet its madness. I want to stay, but I can't wait to be free.
I could never fit in here...sure, I can pretend, for a day or so, but it's not where I belong. The city, for me at least, is one of those places that I love to visit, but I could never live there, not forever, and I'm thankful that I don't.

 

 

What do you love or hate about cities?