Carnival

If you say life is a game,

life must be a game of 1-2-3 Red light in Brazil.

Normal daily life turns into statues when Carnival yells:

"red light" to this country.

Banks, museums, and libraries,

shops, cafes, and restaurants,

all stop running.

Carnival is the blue mermaid costumes of young boys,

the colorful bikinis of girls,

the bright-red lip of the old man I saw on the subway;

It is the hipster sunglasses of a bunch of cool grandmas,

It is, of course,

the colorful glitter around everyone's eyes, cheeks, and shoulders.

Carnival is subway stations turned into police stations,

It is the subway became high school party bus,

It is the ceiling of the subway became the face of a drum for tall boys,

they banged the train so hard that I felt like the train is about to be torn down.

Carnival is,

parties became blocos,

and you have them happening one block after another.

It is when water became alcohol,

and you have them cups after cups;

It is when language became loud music,

and you sing, sing and sing.

Carnival is when the city smells like piss,

and you felt disgusting to walk around unless you were drunk.

Carnival is

the worst nightmares of some,

But,

it is the daydream of the others.

-- March 6th, 2019 @ A random Starbucks in Rio, Brazil