east berlin, in retrospect
my first night here, i glide through the streets with forbidden rock ‘n’ roll in my ears, reveling in the monochrome, and search for the perfect concrete wall to bang my head against. i walk up to a Plattenbau, where i see a couple framed in a third-floor window, sitting at a small wooden table, a pot of tea between them, their hands loosely clasped. i watch them for several minutes and let my loneliness ravage me, then slam my forehead against the wall. my head makes barely a sound, and the bloodstain isn’t as startling...
Read More
