My most memorable religious experience of late was underground in the Subway. An older, African American singer had garnered a crowd that looked like “worshippers” standing around her chair. From where I entered the station, I couldn’t even see her sitting within the mass of people of all backgrounds gathered around her. She held this unapologetic confidence that allowed us all to latch on to her strength after a long day. Our underground mother of love belted the lyrics of love through Whitney Houston, handing the mic on occasion to those she deemed worthy to replace her incredible voice. Her contagious energy caused the entire mass of straphangers to sing in unison to her final song, “Greatest Love of All”. Businesswomen, tourists, hippies-turned-professionals, African-American mothers and grandmothers, young men, families with strollers- a small sampling of those gathered in pause to give this New York moment its New York minute.
After going home elated, I realized that if you've seen the movie Precious, she is the real mother of the Oscar-Nominated actress: http://www.popeater.com/2010/02/09/precious-actress-mom-subway-videos/
What a woman.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
beached body back
What a funny thing to arrive back in New York in the middle of its muggiest. I left one week ago with fair spring air and
ARRRIVE BACK TO BE
lifted and shifted horizontally by the humidity. I feel like I could swim through the atmosphere.
NEW YORK- WHY HAVE YOU LOST YOUR LUSTER? I FEEL LIKE I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU ANYMORE?
WE HAD QUITE A YEAR. SOMETIMES YOU WERE SOFT. LIKE WHEN SNOW HELD YOU AS A QUIET, HUMBLED HOSTAGE
BUT NOW, YOU ARE BACK. YOU CRACK. FIREWORKS EXPLODE IN RECKLESS ABANDON,
THE STREETS BURST AND BUMP WITH BASKETBALL PLAYERS FIGHTING FOR THE BASKET
PROPPED UP BETWEEN CARS ON THE SIDEWALK.
MAD CHAOS. SWEAT. AND IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL. IT IS TOUGH, ROUGH, JUST ENOUGH. I AM BACK.
AND THE SOFTNESS IS REQUIRED BY FRIENDS WHO NEED YOU TO NOT FREAK OUT JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO THEM. STAY SANE. TAKE IT IN. BE. JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH WHILE A TRUCK BELCHES AND SCRATCHES, SIRENS SCREAM AND YOU WAIT FOR THE NEXT AVAILABLE QUIET
WHEN ALL YOU CAN HEAR ARE 4 MILLION CONVERSATIONS
WITH EACH PERSON TRYING TO HOLD ON.
ARRRIVE BACK TO BE
lifted and shifted horizontally by the humidity. I feel like I could swim through the atmosphere.
NEW YORK- WHY HAVE YOU LOST YOUR LUSTER? I FEEL LIKE I DON'T EVEN KNOW YOU ANYMORE?
WE HAD QUITE A YEAR. SOMETIMES YOU WERE SOFT. LIKE WHEN SNOW HELD YOU AS A QUIET, HUMBLED HOSTAGE
BUT NOW, YOU ARE BACK. YOU CRACK. FIREWORKS EXPLODE IN RECKLESS ABANDON,
THE STREETS BURST AND BUMP WITH BASKETBALL PLAYERS FIGHTING FOR THE BASKET
PROPPED UP BETWEEN CARS ON THE SIDEWALK.
MAD CHAOS. SWEAT. AND IN THE MIDST OF IT ALL. IT IS TOUGH, ROUGH, JUST ENOUGH. I AM BACK.
AND THE SOFTNESS IS REQUIRED BY FRIENDS WHO NEED YOU TO NOT FREAK OUT JUST AS MUCH AS YOU DO THEM. STAY SANE. TAKE IT IN. BE. JUST TAKE A DEEP BREATH WHILE A TRUCK BELCHES AND SCRATCHES, SIRENS SCREAM AND YOU WAIT FOR THE NEXT AVAILABLE QUIET
WHEN ALL YOU CAN HEAR ARE 4 MILLION CONVERSATIONS
WITH EACH PERSON TRYING TO HOLD ON.
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