New York - in Words

One day of walking,

all the way up from 28th and 8th.

Saw the Empire State, the New York Library,

the ice rink at the Rockefeller.

Top of the Rock and the sky was incredible.

Central Park laid out like a green runner in the middle of Art Deco buildings.

Louder and wider but so much like London.

All the different accents passing you on the street.

Saw Winnie-the-Pooh (And Tigger too!),

Broadway, Times Square, Madison Square Gardens and the Post Office.

Took a taxi to a restaurant recommended by Ruth Reichl,

former New York Times food critic,

and was not disappointed.

All on day one and my legs were knackered, my feet worn out.

But that didn't stop us from crossing Brooklyn Bridge the next day.

Started in Wall Street of course,

after taking the Subway.

Saw a giant bull and gave him a hug.

(I'm a Taurus, you know.)

Went to a food co-op and took it all in,

an example of how not everything American

is deep fried and covered in batter, dipped in ketchup and sweetened with corn syrup. 

Saw a play on Broadway 

where the programmes are free. 

And then we move on to 

my last day in the city, 

onto day three. 

A tour of the harbour under a perfectly amazing blue sky. 

Glinting off of glass buildings and lighting up

a green lady with her arm stretched high. 

Counted all the Starbucks and figured out the Subway,

(kept calling it the Underground even though they're 

not even close to being the same)

and made back to the cozy flat where we were staying. 

Went out on the town after dark, 

to the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. 

Went there to start because that was the beginning

of so very much. 

The birthplace of Pride when being gay was criminal,

and it wasn't a celebration but a riot when it all kicked off in '69. 

From there to a Drag show New York style. 

Profane as anything, definitely crossing a line. 

But we were up for it of course, because this was New York, baby! 

Three days to explore (just a little more than Tokyo) and now I can add it to my list. 

Sydney, London, Paris, Tokyo and New York. 

Totally different but so much the same - 

full of people and cars and sort of always awake.

And on the very last night of the very last day:
we danced in Madison Square Gardens and down the street.