One minute siren warnings
Heads up!
Waiting for planes to crash
This sweaty feeling of deja vu
Like a pack of dogs
Waiting for the lights to change
Cross walk malfunctioning
Another sidewalk splintering and splattered
Animal or human waste kissing the soles
Of a three hundred dollar pair of Pradas
Nicotine stained teeth of some taxi driver
Who swears he knows a faster route
While onlookers watch the circular journey
Smoking tires performing a graceless pirouette
On the melting tar
Ninety -two degrees of greenhouse effect
Flattening down the lacquered hair
Of wannabe fashionistas lighting cigarettes
Puffing cancer, skinny as an anorexic
Looking forward to her first denial of the day
Yellow jackets swarming over the remains
Of some discarded sausage and kraut concoction
Some crazy man over there who is salivating
Weighing in the odds of a free meal ticket
Only to return to the steam tunnels
Playing games of 'hit me'
With the oncoming trains
The smell of the ocean
Lazily filtering through the yellow air
Settling and saturating the few articles of clothing
Found tied to weathered ropes
Holding up the decrepit buildings
The space in between a police-free zone
And if you listen very closely
You might be subjected to an impromptu performance
Sinatra giving his ultimatum:
"It really is up to you, New York,New York..."
Author notes
Here is the naked city, warts and all... Enjoy!
A contest entry
- city poetry- and the like (crude contest) by SurelyWritten.
600 points, ended January 15, 2007, 8 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - AP Best of the Best Season One: Preliminaries by B Chandler.
300 points, ended January 1, 2007, 25 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - I just want your personal best. by disparate.
900 points, ended February 20, 2007, 55 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 8 of 8
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I loved the imagery you employed in this, also the layout and how this was written.. very striking and non-uniform.
The last line had "New York, New York it's a hell of a town" going through my head over and over. What an awesome city it must be.
Thanks for taking the time to enter (sorry about the delay) best of luck! -
the imagery is very strong
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re:the imagery
Why thanks, Gyne... Fancy seeing you here, lol! Good luck in the contest...
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Visited here once for three days - supposed to be the biggest snow storm of the century, April 2001. Everything closed down, couldn't see the Statue of Liberty as ferries weren't running, schools shut down, airports closed - and then it was just a small flurry. Death threats against weather forecasters - I have such a memory of this city - but did get to see the Twin Towers while I was there - a few months later they were gone for ever. Such a naked city - warts and all. Enjoyed this read and the memories it brought back.
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Re: Visited
Thanks for commenting, Grannyeri... Glad my poem brought back some nice memories...
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Powerful
Raw and gritty. Shows the beautiful jet set people and the slime, grime and crime of the Big Apple. Many lives going many paths without any concern for others. Gives me the chills, I'm so glad I'm a country girl. But I can see the allure of the lights and activity. Best wishes in the competition. -
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Re: Powerful
Thanks nichtmich for the comments. It's appreciated! New York City definitely has a seedy underbelly, but it also has it's finer points,too...
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Loved it! Thank you for entering. -shirley- (i'll give a real comment, soon)
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