​To return to the woods for a day
And remember the promise of summer
It’s almost time to go home.

To walk through the park
And come across
A magical being
Sparkling silver in the sunlight
With greenery growing from his gigantic antlers
And colorful butterflies sitting aloft

I’d heard it was good
But I didn’t expect this
The truly glorious music
The astonishing performances
The way it cracked something open inside of me
Watching the adult-self signing with his childhood self
The thrill of the step dance
The horror of abuse
The re-living and processing of trauma
The power of art
To shake you apart
And then fill the cracks with golden light
“Sometimes you just have to leave it all behind
And leave it in the road”
"Just three simple words
I love you."

​Sitting in Bryant Park
On a beautiful spring day
A brass band is playing in the background
You go to see who they are
And discover a joyous brass quintet
Whose schtick is to dance energetically
While playing pop tunes like
YMCA and Summer Lovin’ and the best Spice Girls/Backstreet Boys mashup you never knew you needed played by a brass band
The gathered crowd bop and sway and clap and laugh
Even the security guard behind the fence is grooving along
You marvel at the trombone player
Who can do crunches while playing full out
The joy of music
The joy of dance
And later
May Day dinner between shows
Fried chicken, creamy mashed potatoes
And garlicky toasted bread
Lemonade and sweet iced tea
A celebration

The joy of archival research
Handling letters sent 100 years ago
The crumbling paper
Making historic confetti

When it's suddenly 85F/29C
After weeks of cooler temps 
And you take walk through the North Woods of 
Central Park 
Following the lake and the little river 
Spotting waterfalls
And fairy dens 
People out bird watching 
Picnicking and sun bathing 
Running and walking 
Strolling and sauntering 
Lounging and eating 
​It's extraordinary to think
It was all made by human hands. 

The delight of a home cooked meal
With a dear friend
Salmon and brussel sprouts with bacon
Home made beans 
Ice cream with chocolate sauce for dessert 
Sharing a bottle of wine 
And watching one of your childhood favorites
​Together  

The joy of a little trip
To see a new musical 
Traipsing out to New Jersey and 
Being blown away by truly phenomenal singing 
Drinking hot chocolate from the bakery 
After the weather has unexpectedly turned 

The joy of leaving work early
And hustling downtown to see a play
With a dear friend, and after
Debriefing over a 
French onion grilled cheese 
And a chocolate shake 
In a cozy diner

An evening with dear friends 
The gut-punching realization that your young friend
Who you've known since she was 12
Is now the age you were 
When you first came here
And now she's old enough to have a local bar
And favorite beverages at said bar 
The joy of a piña colada and   
Cocktails with pop rocks 
Talking theatre until the bar empties out
​Walking giddily through Harlem