The Hudson River Park
Red sugar on my tongue,
I walk along the gray Hudson
beyond the bronze pumpkin,
serpentine steel rods mimic benches,
past the fenced-off runs for dogs,
tennis courts, skate rinks,
past Pier 40, where the Hornblower Serenity bobs in oily water,
winks, huge and beckoning,
lights poking holes in a darkening sky.
I float on anticipation—
some glimpse of the world as black lightning,
Andean street players fingering pipes,
break dancers strutting their moves,
dreadlocks flying,
drums thrumming.
I pass strangers,
joggers’ faces showing pain or grace,
spinning to the honeyed air their sweat,
as though the evening were theirs to keep,
as though this secret could be shared with fireflies, blinking.
Union Square
Everything is on offer
Saturdays at the farmer’s market:
stands with wildflower honey,
jams, baked goods,
girls with fish-net leggings,
black thongs showing,
boys with eyeliner, earrings,
jittery, alluring,
Masters teasing challengers
at stone chess tables,
a cellist with open case,
hopeful singer at hand,
a smiling farmer selling high-priced greens
to city slickers,
free-range eggs,
as if the eggs themselves could walk.
On the plaza, dancers and protesters
move in a mirrored minuet—
shadows of skyscrapers join the dance.
Shaheen Dil is a reformed academic, banker and consultant who now devotes herself to poetry. She was born in Bangladesh, and lives in Pittsburgh. Her poems have been widely published in literary journals and anthologies. Her first full-length poetry collection, Acts of Deference, was published in 2016. Her second full-length poetry collection, The Boat-maker’s Art, was published from Kelsay Books in 2024. Shaheen is a member of the Pittsburgh Poetry Exchange, the DVP/US1 Poets, and the Porch Poets. She holds an AB from Vassar College, a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University—leaving campus only when it was absolutely necessary to get a real job.
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THE CITY KEY 