NATIONAL POETRY MONTH: 2017
BETTY FARBER

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I Hear a Poem
© Betty Farber

I hear a poem
Walking the noisy city streets:
Sirens screaming,
Bus horns blaring,
Trucks beeping a warning
Over and over, backing up,
Friends shouting to each other
Or talking on cellphones...
 
When on the edge of sleep
I listen to the city sounds
And am content. Life is out there,
The world is working as it should.
Before my visit to a quiet country town
I plan to tape the city sounds
To play when sleep eludes me,
So that I will feel safe and at home
Though I hear nothing but the owl’s hoot.

Bagels and Romance
© Betty Farber

Bagelworks on First Avenue
Sells a variety of bagels
To please anyone’s taste.
I’m waiting for my order to be filled.
 
A woman behind me is talking
On a cellphone to her boyfriend.
“I’m at Bagelworks right now.
What kind of bagel do you want:
Sesame, whole wheat, pumpernickel
Sourdough, poppyseed, everything?
What? A plain bagel?” She is incredulous
And complains to the nearest stranger,
“I thought he was unique, unconventional,
And he orders a plain bagel. I may
Have to rethink this relationship.”
 
“That man is in deep trouble,” I say to myself,
As I pay for my bagel order.
With an eye on my own relationships
I take home sesame, sourdough, everything.

Echoes
© Betty Farber

I’m drifting slowly from a nap
In his chair, book upon my lap,
I feel his presence as I wake.
 
I gaze at how our furniture was placed --
He measured twice to fit into the space
Without an inch to spare --
 
                                    I can’t erase
One moment of our story from my mind,
Nor leave any memories behind.
The echoes that I hear are not the kind
That frighten.
 
                        They only make me know
That time without him simply goes too slow.
He’s with me going anywhere I go.
 
Whispering confidently in my ear
“This is the route to take, the way is clear;
Down this street, and then a right turn here.”
 
We laughed at the crazy world and at ourselves.
We told each other all there was to tell.
At the end he couldn’t speak to say, “Farewell.”
 
Every moment that we spent together
Echoes, and will stay with me forever.

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Betty Farber was born in Brooklyn and currently lives in Manhattan. She is a former college instructor who taught child development at LaGuardia Community College in New York City. She is currently an active member of Quest, a community for lifelong learning, affiliated with City University of New York. Betty's inspiration comes from the heartbeat of New York City - its people and culture. Her poetry, articles and stories have been published in several magazines and journals. Betty’s book of poems, My New York: City Poems (Houts & Home Publications LLC) was included in the 2016 Poets House Showcase, the annual exhibition in New York City of each year’s new poetry books.

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