Grey

London is grey, a grey canvas to paint worlds upon

Scales of grey

Levels of grey like moods

We board bright red buses

And sit in confined almost assigned blue seats

We march to our grey of that days drum

Hearts unsung with story

The commute is grey

On your way to the work you choose

You may encounter color

In fact you encounter color

Whether you choose to see it or not

Sundays are reserved for aunties boarding from local church services

The patterns and colors of kente

As they hold their dress up and tip toe in a kitten heel into the granny seats

Regal head dresses and spirit has entered the blue interior transporter

Their disapproval of other passengers as they sit and look around

Or chastise their child for not sitting down quick enough

As the formula one driver pulls off abruptly

Color has arrived

Parked push chairs with babies eating colorful food squashed all over their faces

They begin to sooth with laughter or sleep depending on the time of day

Teenagers tumble on to the bus and rumble their way upstairs as the color of their sound and youth takes space where they feel comfortable

People in uniform

Headphone people that choose to drown the sounds of color out

Not because they don’t want to see it

But maybe their anxiety or their journey needs a soundtrack

This red spaceship houses the a color pallet for a grey canvas

Encounter so many colors on the bus

The colors of me occupy a safe seat to observe

I make sure to turn the volume up

Before the pandemic I would make myself as small as possible to give space for someone to sit next to me, I never wanted anyone to sit next to me

My body takes up space and the sheer design of London bus seats is disapproving of this

My presentation is non binary so guess lucky for me if i look slightly intimidating

I don’t fit in; my color was on blast but since the pandemic and social distancing

I have ample space to be as big as I exist

Its how it feels even it isn’t that real

The color of me enters as quick as possible seeking out a spot

Assign my body there and watch the world paint the grey canvas

the grey canvas to paint worlds upon

Scales of grey , Levels of grey like moods

We board bright red buses

And sit in confined almost assigned blue seats

We march to our grey of that days drum

Hearts unsung with story.