Other Seasons. Harold J. Recinos

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СКАЧАТЬ prayer

      was said to remember the secrets of our

      brown skin ancient like dark mother

      earth.

      [Clouds]

      its late into the night of this

      August summer and I sit quietly

      with closed eyes feeling all the

      years behind me without a thought

      in mind. I put down a book that

      made good company filled with

      an inexplicable happiness the stories

      of Julio Cortázar succeed to deliver.

      in the dark, enjoying the light of a

      small lamp, I imagine voices shouting

      from pages to describe the clouds hiding

      a sky full of stars, leaves rustling in near

      autumn trees, lovers parting again with

      unbearable regret, and a child about to

      speak. I lean forward like someone in a

      mystery waiting for words to lunge from

      the dark, which in great stories, find many

      ways to say you are beloved on earth.

      [The Amusement Park]

      the rain stopped, and the Sunday dress

      kids in the building waiting it out, begin

      to walk quickly in the damp air toward

      church like people with unfinished

      business. time in Tito’s pocket ticked

      loud enough for him to clinch his hand

      around a strapless watch before it got

      all used up. they waited patiently for God

      to speak each Sunday but only noticed the

      priest a little more bald, widows dressed

      in black, babies loudly crying, young girls

      with scarves covering their long hair, and

      most of the block praying for another Paradise.

      their hearts that morning were already in the

      amusement park sitting on the side of a

      New Jersey cliff, inviting them on Easter to

      fly beneath the clouds in wild rides to make

      them hold the air. with their eyes closed in the

      middle of Mass where a little bell sounds ringing

      faults, they whispered to each other imagine what

      it would be like to have to spend the day here and

      never Palisades Amusement Park. when the tolling

      bell stopped, the six friends popped their eyes open

      and dashed to happiness waiting on the other side of

      the church front door. despite the raggedy sermon

      not one of them felt mortified, the slightest bit lost

      or need for Christ’s salvation—maybe next year the

      priest will convince them to forget the sinful times

      at Palisades Amusement Park and see things,

      otherwise.

      [The Blue Note]

      I liked coming out of the Blue Note

      that autumn night with the long slow

      walk past people sitting on the slanted

      benches of Washington Square Park,

      the occasional leaf tumbling down on

      the heads of kids riding skateboards,

      students marking pages in their books,

      the middle-aged chess players focused

      on a game, and on the south end of the park

      toddlers shrieking with attempted swings on

      a jungle gym. I looked up at the night sky

      convinced I could reach out to polish the

      stars to help them cast more gracious light

      on every toiler here. slowly, I made my

      way down half-deserted streets trying not

      to step on the sidewalk cracks, nearing

      home, I prayed for Eden’s distant friends

      led astray and looked on all the quiet corners

      for stirs of sweet life.

      [Yard Sale]

      early one morning in front of Leroy’s

      ground floor apartment a sidewalk sale

      was underway with a baby crib, records, two

      chairs, a desk lamp, an old bicycle, worn clothes,

      a broken-handle toaster and a checker set. the

      Irish lady who put the sale together hoped to

      get a little business from the new Puerto Rican

      residents pouring out of a storefront church, though

      they never heard a Doris Day record, asked what is

      checkers, and reserved an entirely different taste in

      clothes. Leroy told me his mother hatched the idea

      to earn a little money to help pay the СКАЧАТЬ