Lifelong New Yorker Peter C. Goldmark, Jr.’s collection of poems, Haikus for New York City: Seventeen Syllables For Nine Million People by Tuttle Publishing is a brilliant body of work. Sure there have been so many books and poems written about New York. Haikus about New York are nothing new, the readers of The New York Times have a book 150 of the best haiku inspired by the Big Apple.
New York is one most celebrated cities in the world. New York is the epicenter of humanity. This is where all cultures blend and rise to the surface. It is represented in movies, books, music, and pop culture. If you have not visited New York in your lifetime, you have not lived. If you live there you are indeed a lucky person to intake the multi-culture it has to offer. New York is both dangerous and exciting. It forces you to keep alive and enjoy all the wonders around you. Just like the buildings that shoot to the sky like fingers trying to touch the clouds, New York grabs your fancy with new daily wonders on every corner. How could you not be inspired? Within the confines of this cement wilderness lies some of the brightest people in the world.
Peter C. Goldmark, Jr. started writing poetry at 40, with the encouragement of his friends, he got his haikus published about his greatest love. New York. Haikus are a very simple poetic form but yet difficult if not executed properly. It is hard to be inspired in dire times such as COVID-19 gripped New York like no other city. Peter found inspiration in his city in the great pandemic that still holds the city hostage.
I have become enamored with haikus as of late. Peter Goldmark’s haikus come from the gut and explode through his heart and his love for New York resonates in each poem. His daughter, Sandra Goldmark, fleshes out his poetry with her subtle drawings. The simplicity of it all lies in the underbelly of a very complex city. Peter exposed the dirt and the beauty of New York at the same time in well-structured puzzle-like haikus. You will want to reread them over and over again.
“You can’t rush it or chase it. But sometimes in New York peace will find you.”
In this love letter to his favorite city, lifelong New Yorker Peter C. Goldmark, Jr. has crafted a collection of haiku that is simultaneously nostalgic and perceptive. Touching on everything from the city’s beloved landmarks to the rising costs of living and the famous lie, “There is a train directly behind this one,” the poems in this book capture the true essence of this special place.
Given everything New York has endured recently, this book offers a timely celebration of a unique and wonderful city and its people—written to honor the ties and realities that bind them together. Alongside the sweet, and often funny, haiku poems, wistful illustrations help bring New York to life.
From the preface by the author:
“And then as 2019 and 2020 unfolded, both our country and our city came under stress. The adventure in self-government in America began to wobble seriously. And then the COVID pandemic hit. All this made me realize how much I valued my city—its beauty, its diversity and variety, its remarkable people, its grit and resilience…and how fragile and unique it was.”
A portion of the proceeds supports Citizens NYC, a non-profit that helps neighborhoods work together to meet challenges like COVID.
Please support Sandbox World by buying Haikus for New York City: Seventeen Syllables For Nine Million People by Peter C. Goldmark, Jr. from Amazon.