from shadows and dreams,
by grifters
and calloused hands --Gotham.
and backroom deals,
where echoes of footsteps
linger longer than names.
grit and grace entwined,
sculpting us from dust and
the flickers of neon reflections.
stretching skyward toward
uncertain futures
that shimmer, then
vanish into the mist.
tucked under cobbled layers
of brick and memory,
just waiting to be reborn,
then forgotten
again and again.
A Note from the Author: For as long as I can remember I've been drawn to the allure of New York City (Gotham). Recently I've discovered a series of short films on YouTube by Paul Stone called The Last Days of Little Italy that has reignited my fascination with the many chapters of this city of dreams. If you're even slightly interested in this place I highly recommended you take time to watch Paul's videos. This series makes it easy to understand that cities aren't really made of steel and of stone -- cities are made of stories.
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Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
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I saw a show on PBS or something a long time ago about New York and they were talking about how a certain portion of the southern part of the city is built on trash I think. They also talked about Central Park and why/how it was laid out the way it was. It was pretty fascinating. My wife and I have been wanting to visit the city together for a while now. I can still remember my first time walking through the city.
Yes, I think the entire financial district (Wall Street) is built on trash...there's a metaphor in there somewhere. Lol. Central Park used to be a self-sufficient minority community I think. It was on outskirts of the city back then. There's so much history there -- so many waves of immigration. I'm so glad my wife and I spent so much time there during the 2017-2019 timeframe. It sounds like a different city now post-pandemic. I hope it recovers soon.
That's sad to hear. The times I visited were right after 9-11, so I expect there was a different vibe there then as well.
How are you dear friend @ericvancewalton good afternoon
I love the gift you have for writing poems, you always surprise us with them
I like this stanza where you say ¨So many stories lost in time,
hidden under cobbled layers
of brick and memory,
waiting only to be remembered and
then forgotten
again and again.¨
I appreciate you sharing this beautiful composition
Have a nice afternoon
Thank you @jlufer! I'm glad you're enjoying the poetry. I've been churning them out since we moved into our new house. It makes a difference to have a quiet room to write in. I hope you're having a wonderful week.
There is a poem that says something like “like lighted candles, the light of the city. We like shadows, walking in circles”. There are cities that have their magic, their legends and New York is one of those cities. I remember growing up with the idea of an immense city, with huge buildings, where people do not stop, even if you are dead on the asphalt. However, I distantly remember seeing “New York, New York” featuring Liza Minelli and I seem to recall that it was quite a poem in that movie. Good poem, as always. A hug, Eric!
To me New York is more like this immense concentration of villages than it is a metropolis because each neighborhood has such a unique vibe and identity. I can remember when I was staying there for weeks at a time, you could have super authentic Brazilian food on one corner and the best pizza you ever tasted just a few blocks away. It really was like traveling the world without having to leave the city. I think some of that is changing now though since a lot of the smaller businesses are being priced out and larger corporate businesses are moving in. Thanks for the kind words about the poem! I hope you are having a wonderful week!
We don't know where our dreams will take us, but if dreams come true, we can reach a better place. Amazing Poem
Thank you!
Briefly, our dreams will take us to the places where we will have peace ;)
Sounds like the city beyond which they told us of
It is a fact that we are alive in this world and living the life of our choice and every day we have a new dream and then we try hard to make it come true and this is the fact that those who work day and night see their dreams come true.
Powerful poem with lots of messages along the line
I think sometimes we need to ask ourselves that question, where will our dream takes us to
Sharing on Twitter.