the eastern states

It’s a familiar journey from Brisbane airport, only this time I’m not

staying at a hostel. The steady scrolling of morning lights as we approached,

a thump and a roar as we touched down. It’s all a bit hazy now as I stare

upwards from the hotel lobby, up past the floors and floors of rooms, toward

the skylight that reveals another blue sky day. A fleet of airline staff

surrounds me, chattering in indonesian, i think (why do I find this somehow

comforting?). The women sit and smoke whilst the captains stand and gesture

as they talk. I’ve turned my clocks forward while I wait for my room

and watch the lifts (they look like huge fuses) bobbing up and down.