Teachers & Writers Collaborative
by Alisa Malinovich, T&W Writer
The Poem woke up to the sound of a neighbor’s feet
On creaking floorboards in a big red brick building
Just past Ocean Parkway on Cortelyou Road.
It got dressed to the rhythm of traffic
Rolling down East 9th Street, car horns beeping,
Stray dogs barking, an airplane headed for JFK overhead.
The Poem pushed an elevator button,
Walked its bike under a scaffolding,
Waved to the owner of a Russian specialty shop.
It crossed Coney Island Avenue, smiled
At a waiter through the glass of George’s Restaurant,
And weaved its way to the Parade Grounds.
The Poem rode its bike through Prospect Park,
Past the drum circle and the lake and the zoo,
All the way to Grand Army Plaza.
It bought a juicy peach at the farmer’s market,
Roamed the aisles of the public library,
Jumped down the steps two at a time,
And caught the Q train to Chinatown.
The Poem ate soup dumplings at Joe’s Shanghai Restaurant,
Slurping the soup and wiping its mouth on a white napkin.
Then the Poem bounced along Canal Street, weaving between
Vendors selling lucky coins, live turtles jumping out of
Water pails, fish on ice popping out of storefronts.
The Poem ate dessert in Little Italy, licking gelato
From its lips. Then it jumped into the backseat
Of a taxi heading uptown. The taxi swerved through traffic,
Stopped short at red lights, and dropped the Poem off
At Central Park. Then the Poem crawled inside an ancient Egyptian pyramid
At the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Alisa Malinovich teaches writing workshops for Teachers & Writers Collaborative and is a poet and co-author of Generations: A Century of Women Speak about Their Lives.
A Poem as Big as the City is made possible in part through the support of the Lily Auchincloss Foundation, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and Barnes & Noble.
To make a donation in support of A Poem as Big as the City or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at info@twc.org or 212-691-6590.
To bring A Poem as Big as the City to your organization or school, please contact T&W’s program director at workshops@twc.org or 212-691-6590.