by Rochelle Jewel Shapiro
Joy, the blueness of the East River,
hearing “Imagine” piped
from the concessions, uttering
the beer brands—Brooklyn Lager,
Captain Lawrence, Kelso Pilsner,
the sparrow on the railing,
twitching for a crumb, the view
of the Brooklyn Bridge,
seeing the angled glass fins
of the new Twin Towers.
Sorrow, the young couple texting
all through lunch without a glance
at each other, the wind that rips
off the East River, blowing down
the giant green umbrellas
from the concession’s round tables,
their points nearly gouging eyes,
the sunbathers lying on the grass
when I already have my next skin cancer
surgery slated, remembering
the reason the World Trade Center
needed to be rebuilt.
Rochelle Jewel Shapiro’s novel, Miriam the Medium (Simon & Schuster) was nominated for the Harold U. Ribelow Award. Kaylee’s Ghost was finalist in the Indie 2013 Awards. Shapiro’s essays have appeared in NYT (Lives), Newsweek, and more. Her poems have appeared in Iowa Review, Moment, Atlanta Review. She’s a phone psychic who teaches writing at UCLA Extension. rochellejewelshapiro.com
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