Saturday, September 16, 2017

Brooklyn, New York



Brooklyn, New York


Today,
in my mind's eye

as I lounge on verdant
rooftop patio grounds

for day's hectic end

peaceful

atop a lovely building
feeling a balmy breeze

Columbia Heights centered
amid a century of renovated cement

worth every valued dollar spent

stationary I'll stay
temporarily

keeping vast crowds
at bay,

a Hudson River sways
river taxis

never hackneys
transporting people to Pier 17

colorful in hue and nationalities
visiting Manhattan from Brooklyn

tourists
seeing through both bridges
a horizon's glorious setting sun

holding steady
despite alternating
heady to pleasant
winds

ones
limping old to skipping young

exiting simple homes,
ancient apartments,
new condos

to unitedly play

prayerfully,
not been slain

lain
under muted skies

as nearby
on playgrounds gated
babies giggle, laugh then cry
when nannies
to them do kiss
goodbye

as pigeons coo
or suddenly fly

through tunnels
many parents, students
head home

in haste

among 'homeless'
stagnant in waste

while brakes screech
shaking nervous first time riders
squeamish

although,
conductors shout destinations
already painted on some dark stained walls

calling artists as canvases
to spray-paint
masterpieces of 'art'
or just plain graffiti

gang related

or R.I.P shout-outs
for the famous for a second

or not at all

with advertisements 
to scream:

"This City Never Sleeps!
Let's Have a Ball!"

Manhattan

Chinatown

at 'Little Italy's'
outside cafes not malls
peaked with congestion

still
meshing
of bodies and scents
on dirty streets

with thievery
on minds
bent

family or foreign motorists
careening to stop
for vendors sent
to visitors convince

"stream with me to where

'wares'
imitating originals
abide"

hidden

in the masses
peddlers of these
do peep then hide

not wanting with officers
'made aware' to collide.

Ah! ...

Yes, I remember New York,
New York! across from our Promenade--
no place to deride.

But, parades for any type
of unmasked charade are in this district
not really forbade

yet across the water
barriers yellow wood are laid

for festivities annual
bicycles, marathons
made.

Heightened your senses
for an energetic, maybe even cataclysmic
ride as when I saw 9/11's tragedy

rocking the world

mangled our emotions

garbled our voices
like marbles cracked

swallowed

cutting horribly inside.

Yet,

still I house
pleasant memories
of life as a volunteer

years there where
thousands of Bethelites
from the world over

till only recently
resided.
Learned unity.

Never permitting
individual diversity
'true love' to hatefully
brotherhood
divide.

New York.
New York.

A mixture of crime, fun,
food, plus fashion,

history and pride.

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