Wrapped in a Cloud by Oliver Kleyer

Wrapped in a cloud of sadness,

the woman entered the bus, leaned

against the folds, gray melting

into the gray background.

At the next station, a vivid

contrast, father and daughter entered,

installed themselves opposite, folds

in the back, gray in sight.

Soon the little girl stretched out

her feelers, received waves

measuring eight bars on the Burton-Scale,

realised immediate action was due.

Soon after, the little girl stretched out

her hands, very soon, the woman

was caught in a finger trap,

no escape, no mercy.

Soon, a small hand dis-

appeared in a big one,

a smile multiplied

on the woman’s face.

And also the gray haze was lifted,

technocolorized, washed away,

and subtly, like the girl

she began to glow from the inside.

When the woman got off

a handful of stations and

one consolation later,  

the morning was saved

and I am still not sure, whether

I had seen an angel

at work. I was not

noticed by her at all.

But then again, this morning

I didn't need consolation.

---

“An eyewitness account. I like the story and the “punchline” very much but feel the expression at times is rather cumbersome.”

Oliver Kleyer (he/him) is a teacher and poet from Northern Germany. He writes in English and German.  His work  has been published in The Creative Zine, The Basilisk Tree and elsewhere. Find him at libraries, state fairs or at Twitter.com/funnyfrogget.