I also thought it was beautiful. Those poems are such a joy on the New York subways.
Nina
I, too, read this on the 1 train. It was reminiscent of a scene in the movie “Brooklyn” at a holiday luncheon where many of the attendees had been those men who built the NYC subways. They were so identified by the parish priest to one of the volunteers serving the luncheon. Those had been, I imagine, the days before unions , benefits, or pensions. The priest remarked “G-d alone knows how they eat.” They deserved better I think.
Back to Billy Collins . This poem encouraged me to read more of his poetry and am I now a devoted fan.
Beautiful I just read this poem today on the 1 train.
I also thought it was beautiful. Those poems are such a joy on the New York subways.
I, too, read this on the 1 train. It was reminiscent of a scene in the movie “Brooklyn” at a holiday luncheon where many of the attendees had been those men who built the NYC subways. They were so identified by the parish priest to one of the volunteers serving the luncheon. Those had been, I imagine, the days before unions , benefits, or pensions. The priest remarked “G-d alone knows how they eat.” They deserved better I think.
Back to Billy Collins . This poem encouraged me to read more of his poetry and am I now a devoted fan.