She wasn’t my first choice.
noisy, aggressive, imposing.
Arrogant with a funny accent.
I preferred her eastern cousin —
classic New England stock,
refined, not nearly as chaotic.
She was my first home, afterall,
where I earned my degree —
and my love of all things Boston.
But that other City
(spelled with a capital C)
captured my heart and ran with it…
through the corridors of Grand Central,
along the paths in Central Park,
and down old Broadway.
Each visit with her was a moment,
etched in my memory:
the foods, the sounds, the smells,
I remember the museums, the bridge,
the brunch, the parade, the lights
the trains, the crowds,
the people who shared the ride:
best friends, new friends, boyfriends,
my very first trip and my last.
My last for a while,
but not forever, I know.
She’s a tough broad and she’ll be back.
Photo by Photo by Roberto Vivancos. Poem ©2020, Jen Payne. National #NaPoWriMo. National Poetry Writing Month. If you like this poem, you can read similar in my books, available from Three Chairs Publishing on my ETSY SHOP. They come autographed, with gratitude and a small gift.
