NYC--From the Sky

We just flew into an airport in New York City on our way to Maine. Normally on an airplane, my nose is locked into a book, and not even in landing do my eyes leave the pages. But not this time.

At a side glance I noticed a bridge crossing a waterway, and since I'm obsessed with any body of water, I immediately stated examining the metal connection cords, the cars crossing it, and then, whoosh! It was gone, severed from my sight by a curtain of cloud. After a few seconds, the next scene flashed--blocks of buildings that reminded me of legos, locked in side by side, slued to each others sides. I couldn't tell from the air whether they were homes or apartment buildings.

Flash. The clouds again. Till I noticed a grouping of skyscrapers, scraping the haze of the city ceiling. As I glanced back, seeing more water and bridges, I saw the Statue of Liberty. I jerked in recognition and immediately searched for Ellis Island. It was so cool. Bridges. Buildings. Sandwiched Houses. Clouds creating snapshots. Soccer Fields. And the Wide Expanse of Population. So Much Humanity Built Into Once Space.

I thought of Milena, my friend from high school. I don't know if she's here or traveling abroad. But in NYC, there are thousands of families, thousands of people. The cemetery is heavily populated and condensed just like its city. The brick expanse of suburb surrounds the glassy tall buildings that make up the capitol.

I thought to myself, "where would the Twin Towers have been?" I remembered not even knowing of them until my freshman year on September 11, 2001. I'm sure that New Yorkers do not say the same.

The clouds were such great breakers. They broke up the details and let me absorb little things--organizing my thoughts and reactions to the Big Apple, as seen from the sky.