Waterslide

I might not have noticed her were it not for the threats she shouted—stay out, stay away, do not enter me, leave me alone. Peligro. 

I might have driven right by, thinking, Just another pretty face, she’s let too many people in, she makes too much noise.

She was surely never as beautiful before she was prettified, abandoned, torched and abused. And then abandoned once again. 

I could not love her until she lost everything.

(Aruba, 2012)

Colorforms.

(garment district, nyc)

hope is a thing with wings

(jackson heights, queenz, ny)

The road not taken

(spanish harlem, nyc)

Sunday morning: Bridal Veil Falls

(east village, nyc) 

rebecca, tied to a wrought iron fence
(east village, nyc)

Sunday morning Lucky 7s: When is a subway not a subway?

(woodside, queens, ny)

From the lips of the Cunning Linguist.

(east village, nyc)

Sunday morning: Storm watch

(st. marks place, east village, nyc)

Waterfront hooker

Socrates Park

(long island city, queens, ny)

Open.Up.Your.Heart.

one step at a time

(chinatown, ny)

Sunday morning : Used

(woodside, queens, ny)

Sunday morning: Roosevelt Avenue

back and forth: 6.0 / 7.0/ 6.0/ 7.0/ 6.0
counting down: 13 / 11 / 9 / 7 / 5
what does it all mean? 

(jackson heights, queens, ny)

I live in a neighborhood of very recent immigrants, some legally, others undocumented. Makes for a lot of trying to fly under the radar and paranoia. This is the conversation I wound up having with a total stranger while I was taking this photograph. I’m assuming he worked in the building. I’m assuming he assumed I was a building inspector. 

Man: What? What’s wrong?
Me: Nothing
Man: No, I don’t believe you. What’s wrong?
Me: I just like the way this looks.
Man: No.
Me: Yes, the parallel…
Man. No. Something’s wrong. What’s wrong?
Me: (audible sigh)
Man: No. You tell me. What’s wrong?

(jackson heights, queens, ny)