Bryant Park at Dusk

Bryant Park at Dusk BY GEOFFREY BROCK

Floodlights haveflared on behind and above

              WhereI sit in my public chair.

The lawn that hadgradually darkened has brightened.

              Thelibrary windows stare.

I’m alone in a crowd—e pluribus plures.

              Farfrom a family I miss.

I’d almost say I’mlonely, but lonely

              Isworse, I recall, than this.

Loneliness is agenuine poverty.

              I’mlike a man who is flush

But forgot hiswallet on the nightstand

              Whenhe left for work in a rush,

And now must gowithout food and coffee

              Fora few hou s more than he’d wish.

That’s all. Hestill has a wallet. It’s bulging.

              Itfloats through his brain like a fish...

Money for love: aterrible smile,

              Butmaybe it’s fitting here,

A couple of blocksfrom Madison Avenue

              Wherecom modities are dear,

Where all aroundme, rich skyscrapers

              Woothe impoverishedsky,

Having sent ontheir way the spent commuters

              Whostream, uncertain, by—

And as for thiswhole splurge of a city,

              Isn’tmoney at its heart?

But I’m blatheringnow. Forgetting my subject.

              WhatI meant to say at the start

Is that I noticeda woman reading

              Ina chair not far from mine.

Silver-haired, calm, she stirreda hunger  

              Hardfor me to define,

Perhaps becauseshe doesn’t seem lonely.

              Andwhat I loved was this:

The way, when duskhad darkened her pages,

              Asif expecting a kiss,

She closed hereyes and threw her head back,

              Bookopen on her lap.

Perhaps she wasthinking about her story,

              Orthe fall air, or a nap.

I thought she’dleave me then for pastimes

              Moresuited to the dark.

But she is onintimate terms, it seems,

              Withthe rhythms of Bryant Park,

For that’s whenthe floodlights came on, slowly,

              Somewherefar above my needs ,

And the grass grewgreen again, and the woman

              Reopenedher eyes to read.