my favorite thing

My favorite thing about this city of Barcelona is a word.

"Tranquilo/a"

It is a very common word. And not just a word but a command.

It means, "Be calm."

You might ask a simple question to someone on the street or in a store or at the place where you reside, and their only response, "Tranquila."

I once asked the lady working at a deli if we should pay for our sandwiches before or after we ate them and, yes, her only response was that of "Tranquila." So we decided to pay after.

Calm. Be Calm. I like that.

balance (a poem)

sometimes we dance too much
and think too little
sometimes we think too much
and dance too little

the hardest thing
is balance
said the philosopher
to the king
then the king laughed
and then went to other things

the hardest thing
is balance
said the child
to the mother
the mother smiled nicely
and then went on to other things

the hardest thing
is balance
said the old man
to himself
on his death bed
and then went on no more