Mental Gymnastics

Title and Illustration: Claudia Chelaru
Poetry: Oana Maroti

It smells like freshly baked bread, this cloudy morning.

I was dreaming in my native language, woke up to write something in English and had a first conversation in Spanish, now I search for my French knowledge, to pass a test.

A floral scent is in the air...it´s Jasmin's turn to bloom and the orange blossom already started.

While adjusting my brain, I take a sip of dragon pearl Jasmin tea and search for news and music in French, even if today´s disposition is more towards Portuguese.

A bit of Banda do Casaco, mental coordination and gymnastics-ballet, another sip of tea, some toasts with homemade orange marmalade and my chin is up, prepared for strange recruiting questions:

-Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

-Do you believe?

-Are you a native?

… another week, I have a dream: to skip the nonsense recruiting questions in 2021.

Update: 2024 even more complicated nonsense, but now the dream´s language alternates.