First, you’ll hear it

Out by the
long grass
with the
long strands,
that tangle and
un-tangle
like a delicate mother’s
un-delicate braid,
there is a hidden pond
you pass by daily

You will notice a
buzzing—
filling the sonic empty
that sticks behind ears
tucks in between toes
with plucking only leading to a multiplying swarm of colour

Suddenly—
Booming!
The booming engine of a spacecraft
crash landing into earth
thunders through the material; hands, headphones
Demanding you to witness its arrival

This year there are two broods of cicadas
synchronizing their eruption
after having waited thirteen years, and seventeen
just to strike once in their lifetime

Pauline Leoncio is a writer and poet based in Berlin, Germany. Gazing tenderly at the ordinary—objects, nature, people—her writing explores power, identity, relationships and memory. You can find her on Instagram at @fauxpau.