Category: BLOG POST 5 (Page 1 of 2)

Photo Credit: Christian Gonzalez

JOURNEYMEN

The epitome of New York, it is not

New York, the city that never sleeps

New York, where you can be alone in a city of eight million

New York, where tunnels guide us on a journey far from where we start

New York, where night brings a different journey

Few wander here at this time of night.

Few know that the subway is not just ours

Few realize, that even when we are alone, we are not alone

The lights race towards the abyss, shining above all else

The tracks shine bright, not as bright but just as proud

The pipes snake alongside, following the lights

Their journeys are often overlooked, hidden by ourselves

Their journeys aren’t ours

Their journeys are irrelevant because we are concerned with the journeyman that will help us on our journey

Only when we are alone…

Only when I am alone, can I see

They are all on the same journey as us

They are all heading into the dark, unforgiving abyss.

The portal that leads home

Lonely nights are not really lonely nights

Lonely nights only mean the absence of ourselves

There’s still the cool autumn air, enveloping our faces

There’s still the eerie quiet, filling our ears with soundless bliss

There’s still the light, that even with the abyss so near gives us a sense of warmth

They give us hospitality–a much-needed break on our journey

And then there’s the eventual rumble, the thunder, that comes as our journeyman roars into view

Credits to Khaya

As I stand on the 23^rdStreet station,

On the thin yellow strip at the edge of the platform,

Inches away from the speeding train,

Getting closer to me every second,

With its strong but blurry “E” inscribed in a circle,

Which while perfect, looks quadrupled,

And the two small, yellow lights shine brightly in my eyes,

Nearly blinding me as I look down below the train operator’s window;

I think to myself,

This is the start of my journey,

The start of my journey on this fine morning,

The first of many trains I will ride on today,

The first of many platforms I will stand on today,

The first of many train operators I will look at today,

The first of many experiences I will have today,

And the first of many memories I will make today;

But it most certainly isn’t the start of the journey,

For many others,

Who have been riding on this train for a while today,

Or on other trains today,

Or on both this and other trains,

And possibly even many others after this one;

And for some,

It may even be the end of the journey for the day,

Having gone from station to station,

Through a plethora of tunnels and bridges,

They are exhausted,

Waiting for the end of this journey,

But understanding that tomorrow the cycle will repeat;

But whether it is the start of one’s journey,

Or the middle of one’s journey,

Or the end of one’s journey,

We are all here together,

On this platform,

On this train,

In this borough,

And in this city;

And whatever happens,

We will be there for each other,

Even if we don’t see eye to eye,

We are New Yorkers,

And we are in this together,

In this train,

In this city,

In this life.

I see the buildings rising, attached to the bedrock rising high into the sky

Their surfaces reflecting the quiet light of the early morning sun

Nothing more than silhouettes framed by blue

They reach upward like fingers, grasping at a dawning sky

Up they go, Higher and higher,

Touching the heavens

Their lights waking up and rising with the sun

Orange flames licking the sides

The sun’s rays illuminating them

The buildings rise above New York, blocking our view of heaven

An unextractable aspect of our lives

Reflections bounce back and forth, from building to building

Breaking up and fracturing the tranquility of the bright blue sky

They break up the stillness of the morning light

These buildings become, in a way, become a part of the sky

They rise up brick by brick, attaching the ground itself to the sky

They connect the rest of us to the sky above

These buildings pierce the sky, scraping against it

They pepper the skyline, adding character

They stand tall and distinguished

Against a backdrop of yellow, orange, and blue

They ascend in a gradient of color, eyes being drawn skyward

They are buildings that scrape the sky, reaching up

Allowing heaven and earth to meet in the middle

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sunrise ?: @_katrynna #skycraper #nyc #reflection

A post shared by NYC Decisive Moment (@nycdecisivemoment) on Oct 25, 2019 at 1:28pm PDT

It is not orange nor yellow

It blends with the clouds and touches the shore

As soon as you look at it, you are blinded

As soon as you try to touch it, your hand ripples away with the waves

As soon as you brush through it, your hand flies away with the wind

It is not blue nor white

It crashes against the rocks and carries off into the distance

As soon as you touch it, you feel the tranquility of the Earth

As soon as you step in it, you are carried away with its oscillations

As soon as you drink it, your body feels its essence

It is not brown nor black

It sits at the shore, disturbing the flow

As soon as you touch it, you feel a prick

As soon as you step on it, your foot cries in pain

As soon as you sit on it, you breathe a sigh of relief

It is not white nor gray

It flows in the sky creating a dark shadow

As soon as you see it, you remember the fluffy pillow on your bed

As soon as you jump towards it, it pushes you back down

As soon as you feel a raindrop, you look up and curse it

It is God’s stunning creation

It surrounds you wherever you go

As soon as you see it, you stop to take it all in

As soon as you see it, you want to take a picture

As soon as you see it, you muse about its allure

Nature.

As I look towards my left, I see vast water ever so blue 

As I look to my right, I see each building for their names I have no clue 

As I look towards the middle, I see cars of all makers 

As I look closer, each car has their own objective all going at their own paces

Everything around us travels so fast 

Everything makes you want to go faster so you wont finish last 

I stare at the buildings that resemble corporate life and success 

I remember the streets as people rush so they don’t make people upset 

I remember my teachers tell me I have to keep up 

I remember my parents tell me that I have to be good enough 

The way our society builds itself is just like a boxing ring 

Who can throw the best hooks to widen the gap to success

I don’t want this anymore 

I want to be free 

I want to take charge of my actions and not felt as if I need to flee 

Forgive me as I go off track 

Forgive me as I become the one who makes my own path 

I see the the difference between nature and man made creation

But why do we complicate our lives with numbers and isolation 

Look at the sunset beaming off of those buildings, 

Shouldn’t you look and be gifted that you get to see this everyday?

Life is so beautiful you just need to stop and unwind 

Hurry up and do so before society makes you go blind 

A Road Often Traveled

Oh what a road traveled, one that I see everyday,

Oh what a mysterious road, that seems to lead to a calming abyss,

Oh what a dark road, which seems to never end and the end which is ever more hidden by the dark road,

The never ending road, which I see as my way home and too many a cramped place,

Oh what a jam packed road! Traveled by many and many for me to see!

A road for me to observe and see those who wish to travel the road often traveled,

You have seen it! you have heard it! you have taken it!

The magnificently splendid road, you have been a part of,

The sometimes quiet road, which you have slept and you have enjoyed,

A road often traveled by many, yet a road that is forbidden to walk on and fully explore,

I enjoy the underground avenue which brings me to the best places like Grand Central Station,

Grand Central Station! Filled with many lives and so many personalities it is impossible to fully explore,

But it leads back to a similar yet different numbered or lettered road,

I enjoy this underground pathway for it brings me to East 23d Street,

East 23d Street! A small stop yet filled with so many like minded peers that I have to stop and stare,

And most importantly,

It leads back to more roads for me to travel and explore!

The railroad- some may call it- leads to me to one of the most important places, 86th street,

86th Street! the path to further explore and a journey step to the ultimate place, home,

And the great part of 86th street,

it leads to more roads!

The road keeps a steady path and never wanders,

The road offers experience not taught by many,

The road offers a sense of strength and adventure,

The road offers me amusement and hopefulness,

The road sometimes not cared for and abused, and hated for the dirtiness,

Is a place of connection and a place of human interaction,

To me it is a place of wonder and a place to see the most exquisite people!

But some people the everlasting a road, is just,

A Road Often Traveled

I hear the music roaming in the air, festival beats lift the spirits, and colors fill the night with unrestrained joy. 

The occasion pierces the air with happiness as it captivates me as well as you.  

The glittering light reflect streets radiantly, 

Shines the city, brought darkness back to sleep, and keep us alive at night.

Sing! Sing along with the music of the night. 

Loudly and musically, sing out the voice you been hiding.

Increasing the excitement, and so we continue to move forward.

On that very corner, I see…

The man with the big black beard, stared at the lizard;

The man with plaid shirt and woman with off the shoulder striped top, stared at the lizard;

The woman with Louis Vuitton bag and the man with a blue cap, held and stared at the lizard. 

Look at the crowed line waiting anxiously, you have waited, and I have waited. 

Look at the colorful prices hanging vibrantly, big and small, but still tempting

Look at the jagged lizards catching attention countlessly, rough by the touch, and still dry as a dessert

Look at the cloudy sweets spun into cotton candy magically, large and light, but let it melt in the mouth

What a colorful night!

Unique voices, diverse ethnicity, strong voices, endless footsteps;

A perfect paradise for celebration. 

When the sun rises, it is over, or maybe not. 

Copyright to Katrynna

Credit to Danny Gurvich

I walk down a busy New York City street with my best friend by my side

I see ton of cars, long buses, and yellow taxis sitting at the traffic lights,

I see buildings all around me almost able to touch the sky,

I see the park across the street, filled with plants and trees.

I walk with my best friend who happens to be a dog,

He is small, brown, and has curly hair,

He is interested in the city similar to I, and loves to trot around the neighborhood blocks,

He is nice and friendly and wants to make friends with anyone he walks by,

He is curious of the smell in the air and often needs to be pulled on his leash to continue our walk.

I love seeing the community and all the different people I encounter,

There are business people dressed up in suits and ties,

There are musicians playing guitars, drums, or even the saxophone,

There are construction workers, working hard in the early hours,

There are college students making the commute to school.

It’s a nice cool fall day that everyone is enjoying,

My dog would stay out all day if he could, sadly we must return home,

My dog wants to run around the park and make new friends,

My dog wants to explore New York City.

I wish I was my dog and had no responsibilities,

I wish I was my dog and could sit inside, play with toys, and sleep for as long as I wanted.

Everyone around us is on their phone or has earphones in,

Are they texting their parents, friends, or loved ones,

Are they listening to music, is it jazz, rap, or hip hop,

Are they reading newspapers or emails,

I am not on my phone.

Where is everyone going?

I think they are going to work for day and won’t return until the night,

I they are tourists just admiring what the city has to offer.

Walking my dog allows me to appreciate my surroundings.

I refresh my head and plan out my day.

Although I do it for my dog this helps me, it’s how I get prepared for whatever the day throws my way.

I see Earth changing, the varied beauty I see,

Those of the beach, each one changing visions as it should be quiet and serene,

The forest changing it’s vision as its trees are taken from them or us,

The ice cap changing it’s vision as the ice melts, or we melt the ice,

The land changing it’s vision as the town floods or the animals suffer,

The politicians changing what belongs to them in the world, the people changing from the land below.

The ignorant changing from their seats, the motivated changing as they take to the streets,

The butcher’s vision, the Earth butchered as we pollute its feats,

The old vision, the kid’s on their way to the beach, or the woods or the north pole,

The broken vision, the environment changing or breaking as time moves on,

The forgotten vision, the scientists warning and preaching, with no help given,

The enchanting changing of the mother nature, or of the adults doing nothing, or of the kids standing up,

Each changing what is important to him or her and to none else,

The Earth what belongs to the Earth – one day the party of the politicians, careless, passioned,

Changing with hopeless plans their untimely changes.