Brooding on a balcony

Sometimes I just need a little fresh air. And the nicest place for that, in this period of enforced lockdown, is my balcony. A small makeshift stone bench and a few potted plants make it my place to think--usually over a cup of steaming hot, South Indian coffee. It was my quiet place--my secret little creative corner from where I could see the world, but much of the world could not see me.

Yesterday as I sat in my usual space, I ruminated over the concept of a balcony. A little bit of your private space jutting out into the world. The most famous association we have with a balcony is the one with Juliet calling out to Romeo, as he serenades her from below. This, unfortunately, is an anachronism. The earliest known use in English of the word "balcone" (as it was then spelt) didn’t occur until 1618, two years after Shakespeare died. Even the concept of a balcony was foreign to Shakespeare's British contemporaries. So our most romantic balcony is actually a sarcophagus. In the early 20th century, the people of Verona, Italy, were so tired of telling the flocks of tourists that the balcony in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet didn’t exist that they cobbled one together from an old coffin.

What are the other famous balconies we know? The Balcony is an 1868 oil painting by the French painter Manet. It depicts four figures on a balcony, one of whom is sitting. No balcony in the world has seen more Popes than the Vatican’s Loggia delle Benedizioni. Every new Pope since the 17th century has appeared before the public on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica. The Pope also gives his “Urbi et Orbi” blessing from here at Christmas and Easter, giving the balcony its name – The Balcony of Blessings. Similarly, the balcony of the Ambassador Hotel in New York sprang to prominence when Marilyn Monroe was photographed there. On important occasions the British royalty wave to their subjects from the balcony of the Buckingham Palace. Indian superstars too appear on the roof or balcony to greet hundreds of their loyal fans.

My balcony has been invaded recently. By birds who have felt that the world has become a little quieter. Their chirping wakes us in the morning. I’m waiting for a few weeks – to bring my cup of coffee here again. No kings, no tragic heroines, no banging thalis, no French painters or famous actresses. Just me and my thoughts – brooding on my balcony.