*Life Underground*
To Andevaughn Reynolds
By Patrick Blessinger
Above the bustling New York City subway the skyscrapers
dot the gritty streets of the world’s capital and masks a life
underground that is a mystery to those not from the Big Apple.
In the early morning hours, tired faces descend into the deep –
here they are swallowed up by the fast-moving steel giants that
carry them through a labyrinth of tunnels in this vast melting pot.
Down in the guts of the city one gets a real sense of New York
life – a subway performer playing for tips – Pink Floyd’s song,
Comfortably Numb – reminds commuters of the human condition.
This is modern life: people from every nation and culture –
the riders come from every corner of the planet – this is where
subterranean life converges with the mass of humanity.
They step into the packed train and hold on tight for the long ride.
Shoulder to shoulder they travel with other commuters packed
in tight – a great mashup of life in this modern-day city-state.
The construction workers carrying their hard hats and bags
of tools, the teachers grading papers on their way to school,
and the little kids fidgeting in their seats next to their mothers.
The college student standing and holding the hand rail with one
hand while reading a book with the other – each minute used
wisely as she pursues her life aspirations in the City of Dreams.
--
Patrick Blessinger <http://www.patrickblessinger.com/>
The HETL Association <https://www.hetl.org>
University World News
<http://www.universityworldnews.com/search.php?query=blessinger&type=all&mode=search>
UNESCO Inclusive Policy Lab
<http://en.unesco.org/inclusivepolicylab/users/patrick-blessinger>
St. John's University, New York City
<https://www.stjohns.edu/academics/faculty/patrick-blessinger-edd>
Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education
<http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/journals.htm?id=jarhe>
Innovations in Higher Education Teaching and Learning
<https://books.emeraldinsight.com/page/series-detail/Innovations-in-Higher-Education-Teaching-and-Learning/>
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