Ruby's Balcony

Although it is small and hidden away, my balcony is my favourite place in the whole World. I live on a quiet road in Highbury, and all the gardens I can see are in tidy rows, like a stack of books, in a quiet peaceful library. My balcony is my own special place to think, with no one there to interrupt my thoughts.

My balcony is quite an interesting place to look at. The floor is a dark misty grey, as if snow had fallen the night before and left a permanent stain. The concrete walls and metal railings ruin the beautiful atmosphere, as they make my balcony look like a cage, ready to capture you and never let you go. On the other hand, when the weather is warm, and the sun is shining, the balcony looks warm and welcoming. The sun bounces off the ground, like an exited squirrel trying desperately to catch its tail.

The view from my balcony is spectacular. I can see all the gardens in the street, and I often lean out and shout to my neighbours who are cheerfully gardening in the sunlight. When it comes to evening, and the sun is setting in the distance, my balcony looks mystical, like a place in a fairytale, not believable and all imagination.

Now that I am used to the smell of my balcony, I don’t really notice the smell of my balcony, but the first time I went out there, the smell was overpowering. It was a very different, unique smell, and at first, I couldn’t work out what it was. And then I suddenly realised what it was. It was the smell of wildlife, nature, the outdoors! Seeing as I live in the city, I had never really smelt wildlife, except when I went on holiday, but at home, I didn’t go in the garden much. I absolutely loved this smell, even though I had hay fever and it made me sneeze.

I remember in the summer of 2009, when my friend and I were being chased by my next-door neighbours, we ran into the kitchen, grabbed some muffins and then flew up the stairs to my balcony. We locked the neighbours out and stayed there for the rest of the afternoon, eating our toffee muffins and thinking up evil schemes to somehow get rid of the neighbours!

I love my balcony. I find it beautiful, yet sometimes scary. I will never forget all the special thoughts and memories that I have had there, and I will keep them tucked away in a little box that nobody knows about.  J