far from dakota_-_

2 Train, 72nd Street to Clark Street, June 12, 2014
This is the grandfather of Stella W., the previous poet. He has some magic about him, as far as I can tell. “I have a great life…” It’s a privilege to meet a stranger and receive some wisdom back, and to hear about the prairie and someone’s life journey in the space of a few stops. He dictated and I wrote (at bottom). Then he sent a rewrite.

The rewrite:

Far from Dakota and the wide open spaces, beneath the streets of the city looking for places, to sit, for the ride from up to down town, hidden from the sky deep under the ground

The City is so exciting but the prairies are sublime out there, from the hustle and bustle to the endless fresh air. From New York City and all it implies to the grass and, wind, and the huge blue skies.

Riding this train with girls so pretty, my daughter’s daughters who live in the City. They know not of the land of the prairie grass, their world is one of concrete and glass

Next year they’ll see those wide open spaces, can’t wait to see the look on their faces. Where are all the people and what is this place, only grass, cows and wide open space?

Time to get in a car and go somewhere, and see something awesome out there. Cities, prairies, rivers and seas, or valleys and mountains all covered with trees.

Poem 1

I came to visit New York City
to see my granddaughters
who are very pretty
They love to dance
and gymnastics too
every now and again
we go to the zoo
We take the train
from school to gym
where there’s lots of friends
but none of them’s kim.
It’s pretty cool to take the train
Where I come from
they’d think it insane.
On the Prairies of Dakota
there’s grass and no trees
Pigs, wild flowers
and lots of bees.
I love New York
It’s a fantastic city
and I love those granddaughters
who are very pretty.

Read a poem by Stella W.

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