I AM TRYING TO WORK WITH MY NEIGHBOUR

I AM TRYING TO WORK WITH MY NEIGHBOUR……

I took myself to a point on Albert Drive. I made myself a large white box with chalk on the ground. I took a while to do that. I took a lot of big coloured chalk with me. I took myself from one side of the road to the other with my chalk. I drew lines. I hoped to have help from others to make these lines, to work towards filling the road with as many lines as possible.

I did this for a whole day. Only a few people drew a line with me. I wrote their names on the pavement next to their lines in the road. I imagined a whole street covered in rainbow coloured lines and names in different handwriting, how pretty that would look. How joyful that would be to come across, a surprise, a multi-coloured curiosity in a urban environment.

In the end I almost ran out chalk, I had painful legs, I didn’t meet many people at all and I felt pretty lonely. It was really hard to work with my neighbour, but once again, I can at least say that I tried.

F. K. Alexander