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I ♡ NY
1.
Welcome to the city
of hearts wrapped in tinfoil
and Plexiglas tongues.
You're one of them now,
a drop in a sea of insomniacs,
robocops and maniacs,
workaholics and SOBs.
Take this flashlight,
the Statue of Liberty said,
so you can find your way
through the asbestos streets.
You're free to buy grapes
from death's fruit stand.
You're on your own
in the city of curry and soy,
of sequined wings,
city of seven winds,
of haute couture
and missing teeth.
City of gluttons,
bon appetit.
2.
But the lights are bright,
and the naked cowboy sings
to the old ladies.
And where else can you see
on the same corner
Mickey and Minnie,
and the American flag,
Batman and Buzz,
and the Cookie Monster
devouring the last crumb?
Where else can you quench your thirst
on stars and stripes
and unicycle jugglers?
So, let's ride, darling,
on the backs of Ripley's bearded ladies
and let the city lick
our cotton candy hearts.
Let's go to Madame Tussauds
to hang out with the rich and famous.
Buy me a pixie dust smoothie,
and watch out for her hand
waving over our heads
the huge magic wand.
First published by The Louisville Review.
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