Two Strangers in Vienna

We met in the lobby at six o’clock, 

six ten by the time you had the courage

to sit down next to me on those dark velvet seats. 

Even then we stared at the checkerboard floor

until the words started coming, 

and didn’t stop.

The lavish venue made us like children

in a monotonous museum. Soon we were

dancing down hallways of the penthouse floor

and making faces at our reflections in the elevator doors,

laughing like we had forever in that foreign city,

together.

In such a trance, we forgot about the passing hours

until the streetlights signaled from outside. 

Standing in the mirrored gold archway,

as the city outside blurred, trams went to bed

and grand operas came to an end,

just you and I. 

We made promises that would not endure, 

but neither knew what more to say.

I heard only your soles on the marble floor

as we returned once again to opposite sides of the 

gilded lobby doors.

About the Author

Jewel Miller is a sophomore Media and Communications student with a concentration in multimedia publishing. She seeks to explore all things related to writing and photography throughout her time at Arcadia. In her free time, she enjoys watching good movies, spending time with her cat and dog, and arguing about books with her friends.  In addition to “What Monsters Lurk in the Shadows” and “Two Strangers in Vienna,” Jewel contributed this issue’s cover image, as well as the issues accompanying “Looking Glass,” “Lamplight,” “to the hippie that taught me how to play jazz,” “Showgirl,” “McDonald’s, or Not,” and “Antonio.”