plagues and prose

it's National Poetry month...yea!...a whole month to read the beautiful works of poets long gone and some just cresting the literary surface...and to be reminded that I am not writing much these days...and not too pleased about it...and tonight Passover begins...and so, as I observe commuting, and life in general, these April days, there are new plagues upon us...and so I bring you the new 10 plagues...10) construction...in the subway stations...one day a staircase is there...one day you're walking into a wall...not metaphorically...alternating almost daily...just to keep you on your toes...9) rolling luggage...tourist season...I'm home from college season...the wheels never roll on a fucking piece of Samsonite season...all zig zagging in front of you while attempting to make the train season...8) pasty leg season...that first and only 70+ day of sunshine and your legs look like two loaves of moldy Wonder bread...you roast in jeans...7) Citi Bikes...and the people who use them...riding against traffic...through red lights...without helmets...in flip flops...what could go wrong? 6) going to that play or musical with anticipation...smile on your face...then...Times Square...ten million people...all looking up...not moving...and four thousand fondle-me Elmo's...after which you watch "The Deuce" and become wistfully nostalgic for the old scuzzy Times Square of days gone by...5) walking on Fifth and no longer seeing Lord & Taylor...dreaming of Christmas windows...then seeing so many empty store fronts in Manhattan...a shiver runs through you in the spring breeze...4) this one, specific to LIRR riders...third rail construction...parking lots closing...months of crap coming...oh, and some fare hikes...3) Lori Loughlin's smirk 2) urinetown...aka NYC...an endless stream of consciously ignoring quality of life by the powers that be...and 1) true story...#1 train uptown to Penn this week...holding onto a center pole...two men sitting and chatting in front of me...and then I hear it...not once...not twice...but at least three times with full butt lift...farts to end all farts...everyone sits motionless...but you look at each other...oh yeah...gotta love NY...it's a gas, gas, gas...