She was born in Brooklyn, and couldn't imagine living anywhere else. If you'd asked, she'd have told you that the subway ran in her veins; that the wind blowing down the canyons of Manhattan streets was as close to nature as she'd ever wanted to be. But that was before she set foot on the island, before she heard the coqui call to her soul, before she knew she was Puerto Rican. She learned to stroll on the island; to laugh loud and long; to linger over her coffee; and to dance: oh, how she danced when she was Puerto Rican.
She's back home now; she's Nuyorican again. She's wearing her tailored suits, stockings and Jimmy Choos as she hurries from the subway to her office and back again in the cold Manhattan mornings and evenings. But the island keeps her warm, the coqui sings her to sleep, and she knows who she wants to be.
© 2007 Cynthia Newcomer Daniel
Sterling silver, lampwork (unknown artist), corundum. Hand fabricated.
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