168th and 77th

Some people call this place home,
Others, just another street.
The name itself is certainly nothing special,
but it is always the first to greet.

It is lined with colored camouflaged trees,
those that seem to be reaching to touch a treasured face.
What a complexion it must have been,
to have accepted to be eternally frozen in place.

Lively voices of little ones sound from the topmost window,
towards their father who just came home.
There it is, a moment savored,
as he will soon be holding his very own flesh and bone.

Turning the corner, I silently bid farewell to 168th and 77th.
I won't walk another path as unselfish as you.
To the open-minded you ceaselessly provide
and even in unkempt shambles, stay true.

I have the worst luck...

      At precisely 2:13pm on the 23rd of August, New York felt the tremors of an earthquake that originated in Virginia. Everyone in the five boroughs felt the aftershock of the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Lousia County. Everyone except me! My first earthquake and I didn't even know it happened. Patients coming into the store started calling home to their families asking if they felt the shakes as well. They were excited. At least that's what I would be at that moment if the ground underneath me shook me around a little bit. It was the second biggest earthquake take place in Virginia and here I am, sidelined, not being able to partake in history.
      Maybe I'm just over-thinking it but when's the next time I'm going to see a tornado or an angry mob of cyclones? Can I at least feel the 2.2 magnitude aftershock of an earthquake that occurred in a place that is more than 300 miles away? Nope. After my shift came to an end, I left for home to hear quake stories from the family. My sister felt the shaking but she blamed them on her inability to coordinate herself and her lack of balance. She didn't know about the earthquakes until I enlightened her about the situation. My mom was sleeping deeply at the time and, as a result, the news of an earthquake opened her eyes as wide as possible. All she said was that "See. Now you watch. It's all coming to an end." Of course, she was just joking.
      The idea that the world was going to end in 2012 hasn't entered my mind in a while. It may be because my mind automatically does a garbage sweep in the rooms of my brain every Monday and Thursday. Remember September 10th 2008? I was the guy who was counting down the days till the Haldron Collider created a black hole so massive that it ate the world. If there is a minute chance that what she says is true then I, damn well, better see a couple of volcano eruptions before I get punted out.

What I Want...

        For a long time I've been asking myself some very important questions. Where is this all leading to? What's the dream? What do I want? Every time I ask these questions, the answer is one and the same. This is where I want to be.

        Here, beauty surrounds me and soft winds guide my direction. I see myself, one day, walking down a path just like this one, towards the water. Hands in my pockets and wearing a dark T-shirt, I'm listening to some music while walking towards the shoreline.
        Here, peace of mind comes so easy. I love the water. I love being in it, on it, and near it. Even today, if I have trouble sleeping, I repose to the sounds of waves or raindrops softly tapping the windowsill. Maybe on one of the days I'm off from work, I'll take a little boat and just let the winds carry me across the water.
        Here, I'll fall in love. I'll be able to see that woman inside my little house overlooking the waves and when I leave her side, I'll be comforted by affectionate nature. What happens if Cupid strikes home before I get here? I don't think that would be a problem. Maybe if I'm lucky, she'll love the place more than I do.
        Sounds too much like a dream. It sounds like a place like this is not real and this photo is actually a drawing. See, this place... this dream... doesn't exist for me today but I assure you it'll be there. After all this studying and work is said and done, it'll be there.