I went to a party,

With all the glitterati,

And hoped to have a grand time,

Wearing an off the shoulder dress divine,

There I was in all my glory,

With not one person interested in my story,

It became very confusing to me,

When I spoke to a man who turned out to be,

A gorgeous hunk who’s really a she,

Not that I care since it seemed clearly,

None of my business if she’s a he,

And definitely not someone I’d marry,

I just wanted to have a conversation,

To make the evening a sensation,

As the room was filled to the absolute brim,

With actors and tall models so trim,

I wanted so much to fit in!

Well wouldn’t you know it,

I dropped my drink on a poet,

Who stood beside me on the left,

He had this marvelous chin with a cleft,

It was love at first glance,

Even though I wet his pants,

With a gin and tonic with lime,

I felt in time he would be all mine,

Until his wife introduced herself!

I went home alone,

To talk on the phone,

With a caring friend,

Whose ear I could bend,

And had a fun evening after all!

~Carol Ostrow, author “Poems from My Pandemic Pen”

Spring In New York

I treasure true grit

in a city.

Clean is for Disneyland,

it is not authentic.

In real cities

the streets testify

and politics are plastered to silver poles

with stickers and paint,

automatically elevated to street art.

I am energized

by avenues with loud voices

echoing the current

state of affairs.

I get off

taking a 2 buck chance

on a Mega Millions ticket

from a bodega on any corner.

You gotta be in it to win it.

I prefer a howl to a hum,

making the spring flowers glow brighter in the sun,

and smell stronger in the dirty wind.

City tulips tell tales

as they sway in the breeze

tilted toward change.

~Nicole Freezer Rubens, author “The Long Pause and the Short Breath”