Downtown In the Dark
After the wind and rain and waves –
Workers remove water from the basements in Spring Street.
„Everything now’s better in high heels“, a young man says.
„Let’s go home and set up some candles to set the mood for seduction“, another one says.
„Now it’s hard times for someone who prefers watching TV over talking to the neighbors“, a third one says.
The East River moved across the West Side Highway, spread past Washington and Greenwich Streets and then most of the way to the street named for the western river: Hudson.
That is: The East River moved 1’200 feet inland, nearly 300 meters.
The only lighted structure downtown is the giant skeleton of the new tower at 1 World Trade Center.
Up in 42th Street (where life is Grande Latte Decaf as usual) I get involved in dog fights about recharging the electrical equipment.
I stay at home, drying clothes.
Reading.
And when it get’s too dark I recite dialogues from movies I have seen way too many times.
I eat Ketchup out of the bottle.
I try to keep myself reasonably clean.
8 millions without power in NJ and NY.
18’000 flights cancelled.
6’400 people in New York in emergency centers.
And – of course – a new star is born:
Lydia Callis, sign-language interpreter for Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s news briefings on TV. A beauty with dark hair, sharp suits; she throws all her body into signing, from her head to her hands to her lips.
