The waters of the East River were blue,
bluer than I'd ever let myself expect,
bluer than the sky today.
The sight of the lights and shadows
Swimming over the passengers wasn't something
I'd known I was missing.
A few uncharacteristic craning necks;
I wasn't the only one
Newly displaced from below-ground.
Outside,
It was bright enough to color-blind;
The view from the window
For one moment
Rendered a monochrome tableau
Of New York's industrial past.
Then the red brick buildings,
Precarious window units and
Makeshift curtains of every color.
Between these-
Between these--
Heart-stopping views of
Sun-washed streets like rivers,
The sunroofs and food carts
Glinting like silver scales
In the early evening glare.
Each time I surged forward,
Gripped the overhead pole convulsively,
Drank in that view
As greedily as anything;
I'd never loved the city
Like I loved it from fifty feet up.
And the walk home was
Novel from the west;
Suddenly the sidewalks ramble-wide,
Suddenly the parks,
Suddenly the people.
A block from my apartment,
A teenager looped his finger
Through the dangling handle
Of my grocery bag as we passed-
Pulled gently,
Not tugging away,
Leading me into a turn.
We were facing each other then,
Even as our feet carried us in different directions;
"Can't I take you out?"
His youth and my mood made it charming-
His wide eyes and narrow shoulders
Held none of the threat
That comes with a man's stature-
And I couldn't help
But soften the no with a smile
Before carrying on
Towards home.