POEM: pashal

Posted 19 March, 2011 in My poems, New York City, Poetry

A friend taught me the Filipino word “pashal,” which, as I understand it, means to stroll or walk around without a particular plan and with the hope of discovering something. I think that’s a beautiful idea.

pashal

that the chain wouldn’t come unstuck
was a little gift, forcing us
to slow down in Grand Army Plaza
where we otherwise wouldn’t have been

a breakdancer offered to marry you
but I don’t think you accepted
and we were stuck on the one street corner
in all of New York without a Starbucks

it’s easy to forget how gorgeous it is here
then the sunshine repaints the city
and everyone smiles, remembering childhood
or their first love or a walk last summer

another friend tells me to slow down
but this isn’t a city of leisure
and everyone knows springtime
is for falling in love

even with a broken wheel
a bicycle is a beautiful thing
and sometimes what’s implied by the painting
is even better than the painting itself

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3 comments to “POEM: pashal”

carolee, March 20th, 2011 at 9:10 am:

  • a delightful spring poem! but the joke’s on you — you *did* slow down in this. you did go leisurely to notice all of those things. :)

Jason Crane, March 20th, 2011 at 9:14 am:

  • Drat! Foiled again!

jasoncrane.org » POEM: again, pashal, March 20th, 2011 at 9:44 am:

  • [...] very taken with the concept of “pashal.” Here’s another poem exploring that [...]

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