City Park

I wrote this poem this past summer while I sat on a city bench located on the north east corner of central park.

A couple sits on the green city bench
The light fixture watches over
Summer night provides the setting
It's mildly humid but getting cooler

The sun has gone but a glow still remains
Children still play with their toys
A young girl in blue rides her bike
Firlflies intrigue the curious boy

The pond is calm and resting for now
She has been busy all day
The time has come for her to sleep
Softly breathing as she quietly lay

Caught up in this present moment
Overjoyed and quite elated
Glad I took time to simply be
Glad I sat, wondered and waited

Walking with Sorrow

This past summer two of my close friends lost their mothers to cancer. I did not know how to comfort my friends with words; therefore, I simply tried to allow my quiet presence to touch deeper than a verbal sympathy. I just read a poem by Robert Browning Hamilton and it deals with the topic of Sorrow.

I walked a mile with Pleasure;
She chatted all the way;
But left me none the wiser
For all she had to say.

I walked a mile with Sorrow,
And never a word said she;
But oh! The things I learned from her,
When Sorrow walked with me.

Coney Island

The Q Train finally made it from Manhattan to the famous Coney Island and I was more than ready to spend a full day on the beach. My backpack full of snacks and beach treats, sun screen was applied and reapplied on the long train ride down and my friends had the huge queen mattress sheet we would all sunbathe on. However, when we got off the train this beach was not how I had imagined it. Relative to the amount of people who used to frequent this area it was now some what of a ghost town. The rides that still happened to work had a few lonely souls riding them. Tall grass and uncut weeds grew from large cracks in cement while only a few businesses remained on the boardwalk. The others were closed up and appeared to be out of operation. It seemed as though this place was falling apart. Still, it did not matter. I was a little discouraged by the current condition of this once booming beach but I was not going to let it get me down. We made our way to the sand in order to claim a piece of territory for ourselves before there was no room left. I kicked my sandals off. Then, I immediately put them back on after almost severing my toe on a broken Corona bottle that appeared to be an intentionally placed booby trap. Dodging glass and trash we finally found a place to set up our base. In fact, while lying down I heard at least three people ask the life guard for band aids because they cut their foot on broken glass. All in all, my experience at Coney Island was exactly that - an experience. Even though it was not what I had expected or anticipated it was still, as odd as it may sound, enjoyable. So if ever you decide to visit Coney Island I would recommend you bring sandals, maybe a few band aids, good company, a positive attitude and no real expectation. It is not what it once was. But, that should not stop you from respecting its history, enjoying its present and daydreaming about what it has potential to be.

Kentucky to NYC: Friends Come to Visit

My Good friends from Kentucky came to visit me in NYC. Here is a list of some of the things we did: explored China town and Canal Street, rode the Staten Island Ferry, Walked around battery park, hung out around Fulton Market, Saw some guy lose his dinner and miss the trash can, knocked Chinese chicken out of Whitney's hand (she is a friend of ours who wanted us to keep her "accountable"), went to central park and got sun kissed while relaxing in Sheep's Meadow, knocked vanilla ice cream out of Whitney's hand,walked W4Th St and around the east village area, got rice pudding, went to the Street Market on Broadway, got fried Oreo at the festival in little Italy, got SPICY Falafel on McDougal St, did pull ups on the Subway, knocked a HUGE thing of sweet tea out of Whitney's hand, laughed hysterically, waited for the M11 Bus for a ridiculous amount of time, enjoyed the beautiful night air, surfed (meaning we could not hold on to the handles or move our feet) while riding the bus to see who was going to buy dinner( You may say that's childish. Maybe you are right. But we always have a great time), ate dinner at 11:30 pm, enjoyed the night life around Saint Marks St and finally went to a roof top to watch the sun rise.

It was certainly a wonderful, enjoyable and memorable time spent with fantastic friends!

NYC Street Market

I recently just attended my first NYC street market and let me say it was quite an experience. The market went all day and was located on Broadway. The street was closed for about 500 yards or more in order to accommodate hundreds of local vendors. There was an array of various foods, memorabilia, jewelry,books, music, clothing and random souvenirs. Later that night we walked the streets of little Italy and they too know how a proper street festival should be put together. If ever in NYC head down to Mulberry St for some delicious Italian dishes!

Hello Again

I went home to New Hampshire a little while ago to visit my folks. It is interesting how something as simple as going home to a house you grew up in can bring back so many memories. Or, even the act of gazing upon an old tree. I climbed this tree many times when I was a child. The maple tree was a place of refuge in games like Hide and Seek. He was my shelter from the unexpected summer rain. He was my sanctuary as I meditated on the things that mattered to a ten year old boy - my fifth grade crush and what was for dinner. And he always listened when I wondered out loud how much trouble I would be in because I blew up the microwave or because I broke the mirror in the bathroom. I just climbed this tree when I was home visiting. I needed to say hello to my old friend.

Stop.... and Smell the Flowers

At the risk of receiving some harrassment from my all-too-manly friends, I figured I would post a picture of some Lilacs. Why Daniel would you do that? First, I love the smell of Lilacs. And second, it is just a simple reminder for us - for me - to take some time out of our busy, "important" schedules and enjoy the simple beauty and profound detail present in nature. I don't know what it is about the smell of Lilacs but it awakens distinct memories and feelings inside of me. The fragrance possesses the power to transport me for a few lovely seconds - as long as I can inhale.