FLAT SURFACES

In the corridor of the ground level if you go out the back of the block I said, ‘hello,’ to the man coming the opposite direction.
I meet this man most when the lift comes down and instead of getting out he moves to the back says, ‘hello,’ before or after me, then says, ‘I’m going up.’
And this before they started the work put the back lift out of action the past four months from which time the strategy of going down in the lift to go up’s become more widespread.
The lift gets used to reach the fifth floor laundry and he’s one of the people lives here uses it also to visit other residents of the flats.
He said, ‘lovely day isn’t it?’
‘It is indeed...I hope it lasts.’
‘Well it’s supposed to for the weekend is what they say but you never can tell.’
‘True.’
We laughed walking away from each other.

Two squirrels get my attention as I sit in a garden.
‘A pair,’ I think.
The grass needs cutting.

I held the front door open for the old woman’d seen her dog and daughter get back home.
‘Thank you, thank you,’ she said.
‘S’alright,’ I said.
‘Yes, thank you, that’s lovely, thank you.’
‘Ok, there you go,’ as she passes through.
‘Thank you, thank you, that’s very nice of you, thank you.’