"yo joa, where you from?" "where i'm from? i'm new york."

everyone has a road to their destiny. what we dont realize is that while searching for that road, we are on a journey that may mean much more than the destiny we are so focused on… walk with me.

my soul is bare, concrete and strong. graffiti marks my walls, tells a story of resilience. i will share it with you: i have assimilated and grown, changed for the better and for the worse, i guess the eyes of the beholder debate that fate (but i know the truth). ive been torn down over years and rebuilt overnight. my thoughts are lined with soft glowing streetlights, creating shadows down the block and into alleys that hide my darkest secrets. sirens and arriving trains are my melody while lyrics are interpreted in idle chatter on street corners and in bodegas. i chase dreams daily, hustle to get blood from a rock… visitors come and go, day and night, season after season not understanding my reason. some stare as they walk, others take photos to remember and still others want to stay and be a part of my day to day. i resist.  if they can make it with me, they can make it anywhere. i am new york.

Taken in Brooklyn, 5/15/10