1) To get away from the daily grind at home.
2) To research my father's lineage; he died in 2004.
3) To visit a longtime friend.
4) To experience the city on my own time and without a schedule.
I achieved all of those goals and discovered an unknown talent, if it can be called that, for writing poetry in the process. I woke up most mornings and headed straight for the laptop to get the thoughts out of my head before they got lost in a sea of other concerns. I have been here for almost two weeks; however, it was in the first five days I wrote these entries.
Everything I wrote was organic, heartfelt and fueled by my surroundings; I felt the energy of this great city in ways I hadn't before. Here are some of those poems of "My New York," to which I happily invite you.
****
DAY ONE
In a timeless haze, my thoughts were in many places
Whimsy traveled like light through a prism
Fine, pure and free
Slicing through paradise like a bird in rapid flight
The introduction of an intruder replaced joy with
juxtaposition
a quest with questions
a sigh with a sign
a moan with a moment.
Was it planned or was it a secret?
I didn't have time to know before the next intruder
interrupted.
Rattling like solid bones on rocks
It was quick and sharp, but gone in a breeze.
A warm breeze returned my mind to haze
But not for long
What was that…again with the scurry, this time I remembered.
A smile came upon me as I then listened softly
A sound that reminded me of a time and a man before me.
Kind and caring was the man, the moment brings a tear
The man was my father who passed almost ten years.
He knew these sounds, he lived them
They raised him.
A fresh siren emerged, bringing a different tear to another.
The haze is not now my utopia, but in my eyes
I awake to blink
One eye in focus and one glazed
Amazed, hazed, warm, unexpected
The glory is constant
A timeless wonder is many
In a dream or for a moment
This is my New York
I happily invite you.
****
DAY TWO
The prior morning the sounds were the intruders
Today, it’s the sights which give me pause
Layers of paint encase the long hallway
One after another, a story can be told
The shades are unknown, sure to be unique
Some with triumph, others with defeat
Before the stories, the walls were bare
Wars yet to be fought, children yet to be born
Would either return to the place they were first seen?
Thick with details, thin with conversation
Unable to describe the feeling within
Somehow the walls don’t speak, but I feel the message
Without a voice, they speak to me
Telling me to write about them
Share their being complete
One after another they come rushing, flooding
The translation is murky, but still I can hear
The parties, the laughter, and even the fear
Maybe it’s not for me to know the completion
Not to give the details, just to share the knowledge
I hear you
I feel you
I know the reason
Paint I have none, however I will add
A story later to be heard by another with a feeling
This time a sight, not a sound intruder
Today I will leave these walls
They will greet me later
Eager to absorb
A verse, a chapter
A sponge I will add to
What color have they guided my story to be?
Today is new
Tomorrow a memory
This is my New York
I happily invite you.
****
DAY THREE
4:19am
Waiting for the sandman, wishing for sleep
The sounds of the city resonate deep
So close to living the life that I crave
If I don’t decide to be happy
I have myself to blame
Many thoughts run through my mind
Like sand on a beach, uncountable numbers
One would go blind if they tried
Straining for more words, relaxation is coming
Sleep is next, my mind will stop running
4:23 is when I will lay
Dreams of the future I will have this day
This is my New York
I happily invite you.
****
DAY FOUR
What is the meaning of disappointment
Is it a rain cloud on a sunny day
A speed bump on the paved way
An opinion shrouded in a blaze of hope
A friend suddenly uttering the word “nope.”
To some the expectations are high
Rise to their level or the dream will soon die
The worst disappointment is found within our own
Rejection with anger, too quick to disown
I know the meaning of the word
Yet I still fear the action
and the later mood
Before disappointment an effort should be made
Uncontrollable is the result when plans are disobeyed
I will remember this day, this feeling
I tried my best, confused by the reasoning
With nothing more to do or say
The future is uncertain, be that as it may.
****
DAY FIVE
In one step you can travel to a different state
In one block you can traverse an ocean
In one neighborhood you can span the globe.
Cuisine follows the traditions of life
The walks of all
The smells and tastes as various as the stars
As I sit in my chair by an open window
I have been transported from here to India
From India to Tokyo
Behind each scent a dish is offered
Succulent and savory
Few of the eaters will be bothered
Again the amazement is present in a sense
This is my New York
I happily invite you.
****
Hopefully these words will give you an idea of what energy this city gives me. I feel a connection like no other, but I wonder if it is only to be felt in temporary spurts and not forever. Time will tell, but whatever the outcome, I know it will be right.
