strange days

waking up before the alarm clock goes off;
grabbing clothes and bike, straight out of the house;
bracing in the cold and clear morning air,
the one that smells like January and winter;
climbing the familiar spyral staircase;
reaching the familiar spot, on the 3rd floor,
the one opposite the smart blond girl
studying corporate law;
turning page after page after page after page;
sucking in all the information, while
scribbling notes on the side,
mulling over a sentence, in amazement, in disbelief;
rushing to a lecture
squeezing past the lingering crowds;
sitting quietly with a pen in the right hand;
returning to the palace of books,
searching for a computer;
typing quickly, lazily, absent-mindedly;
walking back to the same spot,
the one opposite the smart blond girl
studying corporate law;
seeing the darkness descend onto the city;
putting the books back in the small locker;
drinking a beer with a friend or two,
talking about how to put the world to rights;
cycling quickly back to the house in the evening traffic;
eating something grabbed casually on the way;
feeling strangely serene at the end of the day;
lying on the bed, the lights of the city still glimmering;
closing my eyes.