Anger in the Air

 

“Strange days indeed”, one of the great songwriters once sang - so much anger and, ironically, the weather, beautiful and warm. Everyone is wearing a mask  

Stepped on the train, sat down, and opened my book. Sitting in the corner, there sat a man that looked like “Grizzly Adams” (at the end of the film); his eyes have that schizophrenic twirl, and he won’t stop staring at me with murderous intent. 

The train comes to a halt, and he remains seated and doesn’t follow. Phew! 

I come to a crosswalk, push the button and see a woman of about thirty, scabs on her face in black track pants and a Superman tee-shirt, yelling into her cell phone, shouting, “GIVE ME THE MONEY! I NEED THE MONEY! She didn’t need the phone – people would have heard her miles away. I thought, 

‘She needs to score.’ 

Get to work to calm, quiet with a productive buzz in the place. 

Finally, lunchtime arrives, and I go to my favorite Chinese shop. Eating my noodles outside, a scruffy dude kicks the tattoo guy’s sidewalk sign over, yelling racist obscenities. 

Work over and no incidents. I walk by a car where a couple is arguing at the top of their lungs. 

Get to the train station, and the loudspeaker announces: “The 5:40 train will be 20 minutes late." A well-dressed woman in her fifties starts loudly complaining about the transit system – directed at the air! The train arrives, and most people’s expressions are hostile, pushing and shoving each other to get off the train. Once on the train, a young girl dressed as a Goth – black eye shadow, black dress, black hair, black mask, and she won’t stop staring at me! As usual, I put my nose closer to my book. 

The train stops, and at the bottom of the platform are two teenagers fighting. My bus was canceled as things go, and I decided to walk home through the forest in the dark. Possums are growling in the trees. Finally, walk in the door and turn on the TV – two bodies have been found in the northern suburbs, and cases of COVID 19 are rising in NSW's 

Hope tomorrow, people will be in a better mood. 

So much ANGER in the air!