1 train 96th Street to 116th Street, December 1, 2014
I haven’t seen him in years, but he is not a stranger. We have been colleagues at various times. He is in a demographic that can sometimes be tough for Poems by New Yorkers: professional men, 30-60 (he’s an architect). They can be the most inhibited of the lot. Are they afraid of the consequences if the poem is lousy? Craig wasn’t. I was holding a coffee cup. He said, “I could write a poem about your cup.” He was creative and open. It was a lovely encounter. (He changed the ending. I put it back to the original. The edit was, “When they fall from the street.” Which do you like better?
Stars on a paper cup
in New York that’s where
they go
after they shine
on the street