Discovery #13

Discovery #13

A Poem by Brigid Cooley

You don't owe him anything.

Not your time.

Not your energy.

He doesn't deserve the little corner of your heart that you so desperately want to give to him.

You owe him nothing.

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Battery Park

Battery Park

A Poem by Brigid Cooley

You can tell a true New Yorker by the tread on their boots and the way they walk fearlessly in front of cars when crossing the street.

This city breathes with you.

I'd even venture to say that it has dreams of its own.

The people here speak a language comprised of coffee orders and the names of subway stations.

Walking down Wall Street, it smells like bagels and money, with a hint of curry wafting over from the food carts parked on the busy streets.

Some skyscrapers go on forever.

Most taxi drivers honk their horns too often.

Some of the subway cars have poems written on the walls, and some of the parks look like they're straight out of European storybooks.

Crosswalks become community centers; metro cards are the common denominators in a kaleidoscope of people.

This is where you realize just how big the world is.

This is where the world starts to make you feel claustrophobic.

Everyone remembers their first time in the city.

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13707 Embassy Row

13707 Embassy Row

A Poem by Brigid Cooley

I wonder how many of our tears the pavement of this parking lot has soaked up over the years.

This is where we've given people nicknames that no one else understands; where we've worried about things that didn't matter while ignorantly wringing our hands,

wishing on stars and hoping for better tomorrows.

I don't have the remedy to all of your sorrows.

I don't know why it's the good people who get screwed over.

I don't think we'll ever be able to walk down back roads without nervously looking over our shoulders to see if mistakes are lurking behind us.

Look at how much we've changed.

Think of the times we complained about trivial things; boys who didn't know our names and how certain pairs of jeans make us look fat.

We were never taught that the way adults cope is by learning not to care.

No one told me that calluses aren't optional; they're necessary.

Funny how, over a dinner of sour straws and Oreo cookies, we learned the most important lesson of all...

Life is more than just a little messy and not everyone is in it for the long haul.

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The One About New York

The One About New York

A Poem by Brigid Cooley

So the thing about New York;

The city is so big that it starts to feel small,

there are so many people that it seems like you're alone,

And there are so many fingerprints left over from the past paired with so much movement towards the future that you are forced to live in the present moment.

I know.

It sounds like a contradiction.

But, trust me...it makes so much sense.

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17 Lessons I Learned from 2017

17 Lessons I Learned from 2017

A Poem by Brigid Cooley

1. Stage fright goes away.

2. Airports make me feel melancholy.

3. Sometimes, a sea breeze is all you need in order to feel like you belong.

4. Distance makes the heart grow tired.

5. There are tiny book shops and cozy coffee stores in Virginia.

6. Hard work pays off.

7. Hard work is oftentimes left unnoticed.

8. Friends who are in plays together, stay together.

9. Sometimes, boys really do kiss you on the front porch.

10. I look good in purple.

11. Snow is real. And magical. And very cold.

12. Sometimes, boys leave before you get the chance to ask all of the questions you had prepared for them.

13. Broken hearts are still able to function.

14. Boyfriend jeans make me feel pretty.

15. No matter how short I cut my hair, it will still somehow manage to get in the way.

16. It's okay to give yourself a minute to breathe. It's not a waste of time.

17. Broken hearts can be pieced back together. It just takes a little time.

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