NYC

April 1, 2026

/ HJ / Leave a comment

a moment
with a stray cat
yelling at me as i looked past the spot
i usually check
for cats

a moment
with a hawk
screeching over my head
and actually seeing it
soar
away

a moment
with all the birds
who eat the cat food we put out for the strays,
the starlings and mockingbirds and robins and wrens and blue jays
[would they all actually eat the bird food
if we put up a bird feeder, or is purina
always going to be their
meal of choice?]

a moment
with our silly dog
whining at all the other
canines walking past

a moment
with squirrels
with skunks
with raccoons and possums at night
with rats along the indoor subway line
and the pigeons flocking outside

i cannot express what it means
to me
to have all these animals around us
and
get to take advantage of living inside the city

the bronx is truly a beautiful place

March 18, 2026

/ HJ / Leave a comment

there is a super secret cinnabon
somewhere in penn station

and if you’ve only ever explored
moynihan
and the pathway between the subway lines
you’ll never ever ever guess
where it could be

[but if you’ve taken new jersey transit
i bet you’ve already been there
perhaps grabbed some cinnamon rolls to go
some time]

but it felt
oh so
super
secret
to me

February 17, 2026

/ HJ / Leave a comment

the day after a show
but so much happened
on top of it

a meeting
a surgery
an emergency allergy reaction
[not mine tho]

and i can hardly revel in the feeling of the show
[or
even berate myself for
not promoting it
more]

except for the moment
i stayed in the moment
afterwards
talking
with the lovely lovely people involved

i think they’re all so rad

and i’m so glad
i got to tell them so

February 7, 2026

/ HJ / Leave a comment

i have had
quite the busy
busy week
and today is the day for
resting
and chores that have been waiting
for at least a week
if not more to
be done

and this may end up being my week
from now until
who knows when

but i’ll keep trucking
i’ll keep doing
until i find myself
trying
something different

[i still want to write more than anything
but i can never think of anything
to actually write
about]

December 14, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

look at it snow
look at it snow

the frozen, wet wet droplets, careening down to the ground
with all their friends, with all their friends,
coating our new york city
with a wintry wonderland mix of
wet and beauty
white and sludgy
and making me feel like
i’m almost ready
for the rest of this season
[but only if it’s going to be
this
gorgeous]

December 1, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

it is december
it is december
i’m allowing myself these
twenty-five to thirty-one days
of holiday feeling

[perhaps it’s a mistake,
but,
in nyc i believe
i am not beholden to old memories —
this city makes new ones all the time
and i can learn from all of that
and all of those
and have an nyc holiday season
instead of suffering from memories
of midwest christmases
long since passed]

August 10, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

i think
i see
[or am starting to
anyway]
why
the cyclone
has so much
lore
and art
and presence
and prestige
about it

i may need to ride it
a couple more times
to truly understand
[though that may be
my thrill-seeker side
craving the hairpin turns
and g-forces
pressing on my thumping heart
truly feeling
alive]

[we’ll see
we’ll see]

July 30, 2025

/ HJ / Leave a comment

having the resources
to act out,

but not to actually achieve
the help that you need.

having the words to express
exactly what you need,

but still no resources
that actually
help.

society has progressed
somewhat,
but not to the extent that
everyone, everyone needs/deserves/requires.

it is [is it] a viscous cycle