new but also not: girl of two cities
The experience of growing up in one city and leaving it for another.
it’s all the same
and yet it’s not
a new city
a new place to call home
a new start
she holds on tight to the memories of the city that came before
the one that raised her
saw her grow
a city she clings onto like a past lover
a city with a collection of four seasons
that cycled forward
marking the timeline of her life
up until now
now she walks new streets
rides new trains
and finds new ends during afternoon walks
new but also not
here but also there
she closes her eyes
whitened knuckles grip the metal pole
her body sways with the sudden halt of the brakes
she hears the familiar hum of the train engines
the same ones she grew up with
she closes her eyes
the popsicle from a man pushing a cart on a summer day
the gust of wind curving through skyscrapers during a quiet snowfall
the soft ground hidden under delicate autumn leaves
the smell of rain in the air as the first blooms unfold
the same ones she grew up with
she closes her eyes
the sound of whirring sirens that lull her to sleep
the muffled voices of a packed coffee shop
the rhythmic howls and barters of busy markets
the same ones she grew up with
new but also not
here but also there
her city
the place she’s always called home
it’s been with her
from the start
Process
This was inspired after writing a previous poem called Windy City Winters that reflected my nostalgia for growing up in Chicago. After moving to New York and spending a few years there, I began to notice the parallels between the two– not just because they were cities but because I realized the heart of a city stays the same. I will forever cherish my home in Chicago, but I am grateful and excited for the new cities I have yet to experience. This poem is a reflection of that.
