Anna's Inkwell - Journal

Journal

Evergreens
A. Chan

Evergreens grow in parks lined with gray stones
that bear letters of remembrance.
Never do they take root
and stand tall and strong.

Amidst the green lushness of a summer's air,
the sounds of strings and oboes,
and the voice of a siren of days long gone,
the constant tap of the high hat and snare
takes me away to a place I wish
I could forever stay.

Time in wishes passes so quickly;
Within the twinkling of stars
above our careening heads
we laughed at our doomed predicament.

Slowly I stepped back and examined
the writing carved in stone.
My name was on it, but
it was yours that clearly shone.

Central Park, New York City, August 1998

Notes by the Author

In the summer of 1998, I went to several summer events in Central Park. The event this poem refers to was a New York Philharmonic Concert in the Park. What made this night memorable was the music, the weather, the food and wine, and the company. There were six of us: old friends, new friends, friends of friends. Everything came together so naturally.

I had brought a portable CD player with mini-speakers, and played my favorite Billie Holiday CD after the concert. There, underneath the stars, Jeremy and I danced to "April in Paris."

It was somewhat bittersweet, because we both knew that any romantic relationship would ruin our friendship, yet we felt so connected to each other at that moment. It was definitely one of those fleeting moments in life, best preserved in song or poetry. I haven't spoken to Jeremy since.