my heart belongs to (2) major cites.
(new york.
&
philadelphia. )

new york rides a motorcycle.
writes poetry, speaks melodically.
he guides me through red traffic signals, hand hovering behind my spine,
nicknames me things like ‘dreamboat’,
and holds kisses against my skin for centuries,
as if they were the most precious parts of history he ever knew.
new york hates large crowds and spends his new year’s eve alone.
new york is beautiful.
new york tastes like filtered water and cinnamon.

philadelphia rides a fixed-gear bicycle.
carries it on his shoulder, holding my hand,
licks my neck clean of worry & silence,
fills my eyes with gleam,
my heart with scotch,
and my hands with his.
philadelphia hangs his photography on his walls, his camera around his neck.
philadelphia is an extrovert.
philadelphia tastes like cigarettes and spearmint.

but my heart does not belong to public transportation.
(buses, trains, subways)
and one can only travel so wearily for so long.