Did You Ever

• Ju-Lian Wan, Grade 8
• Poetry
• 2009

I slowly step off my sunken ship,
Upon freshly paven streets,
Structures of glass,
So high, so clear,
Where sky and building meet.

My breath was raised,
My heart beat stopped,
What was this beauty, this sea?
And so I learned,
With eager hunger,
New York: the place for me.

With every step,
And every breath,
I gazed in wonder and fear,
Streets crowded with people, loud traffic and such,
My simple, dull past seemed so mere.

Flying machines,
High up in the sky,
What marvels this city behold!
With coffee cafes,
The noisy hubbub,
With sweet cakes and tales to be told.

And as the night came,
The bright lights turned on,
Casting its glow far and wide,
A wondrous sight,
Of luminous globes,
Small dots of yellow fireflies.

My feet began to tire,
My limbs sore and weary,
My traitorous eyes slowly closed,
Enough for today,
There’s always tommorow,
To explore and discover, I suppose..