Writing Exercise #9

Buckingham Palace 

Midday: 

Crowds gather at the gates of Buckingham Palace, all of them taking pictures of the grand building and statue outside. It’s cold, and everyone is bundled up in wool coats and hats, milling around and rubbing their hands together. The sun is shining down illuminating the gold statue in front of the building. Little kids run around the statue, laughing and evading their parent’s grasp. I assume most of them are tourists, though some seem to be walking past the palace as if it’s just a stop on their journey of the day. They don’t take pictures, instead, they pause for a moment to look around, and then continue on into the park. 

After Dinner: 

After dinner, when it gets pitch black, the space in front of Buckingham Palace still has a few occupants. Some seem to be struggling tourists, each trying to fit in a quick stop to say they have been there. It’s quiet besides the usual city murmurs of ambulances, car horns, and the gaudy pop music playing from the pink furry rickshaws. I came after dinner with my boyfriend, who had never seen it before. We sat down on the steps of the statue and watched the small pods of people go up to the gate before disappearing back into the park and on their way. It’s peaceful and it feels more intimate than during the day. Like this is a special place just for us. But I know tomorrow morning when the sun rises, the hoards will return and it will get loud again, but for a few hours every night, Buckingham Palace gets to rest.