Rising, rising through the Empire City,

 the moon light shimmers

against ninety flights of glowing glass.

On top of the city, the streets bustle with life.

Against the merciless wind,

the iron wrought fence turns crimson

in the breeze.

At touch, the oxidized metal feels calloused

against your hand.

Despite the intoxicating stench

of iron lingering

in the air, 

across the sky, city lights dance

against the starry abyss.

Fiddling with a penny in your hand,

how fast can Abraham fly?

Beneath the empty gaze,

thousands of cars hum

against the beaten path.

Trudging through the light filled city,

normal people resemble ants

through the city that never sleeps.

In the distance,

boats beat against the Atlantic,

bellowing as they navigate

amongst the sea.

Past the ships,

the Brooklyn Bridge yields

to traffic as it comes;

it too, fights the  ocean’s onslaught.

As mesmerizing as the horizon may be,

a whole new world awaits below.

At ground level, the babble

of passing pedestrians fills the air

along with the aroma

of rising dough and freshly brewed coffee

from dimly lit bakeries and coffee shops

advertising the city’s best bread and coffee.

Beyond the pack,

a quiet street gives way to a moon burning

through the placid dusk.

As you peek

up through the crowd,

colossal sky scrapers appear

to peek just into the heavens.

This foreign land, New York City,

a city so great, they named it twice.

New York City,

how will you ever live

without?

 

Ashley LaClair