Out on the streets of New York, <br />The first appearance of morning, <br />A preliminary warning <br />That a new day has begun <br />While my expectations rise high <br />As numbers filter through my mind, <br />Avenues and streets become a network <br />When studios and skyscrapers somehow <br />Coincide to take me anywhere <br />When my heart desires... <br /> <br />Weary faces passing through <br />The cross-road of the world, <br />Holding frozen thoughts and muted words, <br />In the very heart of Times Square, <br />Some looking happy or tired, <br />These faces are clear signs <br />And must be read quickly <br />To learn their story hidden behind <br />Or absolve their tiredness or vitality... <br /> <br />I hold my head down <br />So as not to give myself away, <br />Relieved to be among strangers <br />Who do not understand-so readily, <br />The natural disturbance <br />Of my presence-or the glance <br />That permits no admittance... <br /> <br />Practical concerns I put off for a while <br />For this is the right place <br />Though I have arrived a bit late <br />To capture the original chance <br />To be myself at a glance... <br /> <br />Here-is no more crowded <br />Than anywhere else <br />When the greatest pressure <br />Is a throng of questions <br />That elbow me alone in a room, <br />Watching my every move <br />As anyone I ever knew <br />Was constantly demanding: <br />'What do you do? '... <br /> <br />Here I am, always rushing and late <br />And always in the same place, <br />Frozen in time and space, <br />Boundaries I can no longer delineate <br />When I am daily struggling with my fate... <br />This is the dilemma of New York, <br />Honestly expressed my dear folks, <br />The reality everyday I must face... <br /> <br /> <br />©All Rights Reserved-2011<br /><br />Romeo Della Valle<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/new-york-s-dilemma/
