New York in Spring

is like a tween waking up
from a deep sleep in a feather bed,
stretching and groaning
before calling all their friends.

New York in spring
is like a Sunday morning,
bright blue,
nothing planned,
and the smell of good coffee.

New York in spring
is like the last day of classes,
shedding study-weary eyes for
glimmering smiles, quick hugs
and laughter.

It’s the doors on the ice cream truck
opening,
or the first whump of sail canvas
to a grinning old salt.

From gardens, the fragrance of young buds,
and the earthy smell of mulch,
or the sunny street-side babble
from wide-open restaurant windows.

The yellow of the cabs
seems brighter,
and the people do too,
in sundresses and
loose hipster button-downs.

New York in spring is a festival,
and every denizen is at once
stall owner
and attendee.

Jes Burke is an actor and poet from New York City who plays a lot of Dungeons & Dragons and loves to sail. He’s enjoying the months before his last year of college, and is looking forward to a production of Othello he’ll be reading in towards the end of the summer. Though acting is his main drive at present, he’s been writing poetry and prose his whole life, and doesn’t reckon he’ll stop anytime soon.

Photo by Anthony Clark