07/31/24

    Last day of July. I woke up to a drab sky. Temp read 76°. Rain forecasted around 9 am. 

    I sang along to The Beach Boys while I took a quick shower, switching to MGMT while I got dressed. I added Congratulations to my playlist of ‘All-Time Favorite Songs’. I remember when that album came out; I saw its CD cover at the register in the Hollister in the valley. This was 14 years ago. Sickening. 

    Plucking perfume from my night stand, I picked up Diptyque ‘Geranium Odorata’ which I had forgotten I had. I could still smell it on myself, which might have been a sign that I sprayed too much.

    The humidity suffocated the subway platform. The B train arrived with no sign of a C train behind it so I hopped on. 

    Yesterday, on a quick lunch break I stopped by McNally’s to browse, though browsing is never enough. I left with a novel from Natsume Sōseki and ducked into Fanellis, opening to the first chapter at the bar, snacking on a grilled chicken club and a Coke on ice with lemon. In between lines I thought about how I would eat at this bar at least once a week last year. The energy was relaxing mid-day, when the customers consisted of regulars and tourists passing by. 

    On the train ride I opened up to the page I left off, pencil as a bookmark. I was in chapter three now. The novel is Kusamakura, published in 1906. So far the story follows an unnamed artist traversing a mountain on the way to an onsen. He sketches, writes poetry and makes mentions of Turner and Ophelia by Sir John Everett Millais. In the current chapter the artist suggests releasing ones feelings in the form of a Haiku, as to quickly disperse thoughts of anger or sadness. Off the train at Broadway-Lafayette, I stopped into La Cabra for a coffee and walked towards the office. It started to rain. I tried my hand at 17 syllables:

The morning rain falls softly

On the book I hold outward

To cover my head

Or…

Soft morning rain 

Helpless against the summer heat 

Swathing wind comforts

    Last time I wrote poetry on purpose was in my middle school english class. I wrote a poem about worms that got a lot of praise.

Summer is coming to an end.


Playlist

Congratulations - MGMT

Wide Eyes - Local Natives

Empire Ants - Gorillaz

Piano Concerto in F sharp minor Op. 20 - Alexander Scriabin

I Want To Talk About You - Ryo Fukui

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