2. A Kansan Visits New York City

When the neighbor’s dog

barks in the rain

at the wind

in the vines of honeysuckle,

you remember the crowd

rippling down Mulberry Street

into Chinatown.

Like leaves on a fence row

they interconnect

and lace

into a rope of green,

an occasional blossom

lifting from the braid.

– Al Ortolani

Al Ortolani has been teaching in Kansas for 37 years. His poetry has appeared in the Midwest Quarterly, The English Journal, The Laurel Review and others. His second book of poetry Finding the Edge will be published by Woodley Press in 2011. He is currently co-editor of The Little Balkans Review.