I see a boy stooped on his scooter 
at the traffic light, head bowed, 
attentive to the messages 
on his smartphone, clean shoes 
and hands gripping the handlebars. 
He carries a red insulated bag 
on his back, resting one foot 
on the grey pavement, cautious 
of the traffic hustle and bustle, 
thinking of his clients. 
The sun sets fire to the streets 
of Bucharest, car horns blare 
on the tree-lined boulevards 
and it is a warm morning, 
almost like in Senegal. 
The boy takes a deep breath 
and revs up before heading off 
to his next destination with 
menus, toys, medicines, flowers etc. 
Here’s your order, mon ami, 
thank you, he says when 
the customer opens the door. 
A mon ami and a big smile 
at every opened door. 
His pay per day is less than 
tourists spend on renting hookahs 
with two rounds of flavours 
and coals in the restaurants 
of the Old Town. 
Down in the cool, I wait 
for the metro to come, 
listening to Jerusalema 
on my headphones 
and making notes in my head 
for a poem about the rider 
at the traffic light.

Monica Manolachi lives in Bucharest, Romania, where she teaches English and Spanish at the University of Bucharest. Delivery Service was first published in From Here To There (Civic Leicester).

Jerusalema is an upbeat, gospel-influenced house song by South African DJ Master KG and vocalist Nomcebo Zikode.

Poetry submissions to [email protected].