I have never been to most of the places I have seen
Remembered scenes like snapshots in a dream
Perhaps in a movie or some painting or photograph
Commingled memories wandering my inner world.
Going to a new place looking around taking photographs
Framing landscape images as if projected from within
I point and shoot rapidly recognizing compositions
Capturing iconic views when I don’t think twice.
Some places are familiar to millions of people
Like the cityscape streets and buildings of New York
Shown as the backdrop in so many screen dramas
Happening in the same space so many of us traverse.
The production crews were an aggravation to me
Parking their trailers bumper to bumper blocking streets
When I was a delivery driver needing to get on the block
I once yelled at Woody Allen walking past on the Bowery.
Those days I imagined being able to travel to other
homelands
Visiting the countries of the immigrants I met on my route
Enjoying the diversity experienced in a world city
Swimming in the sea of people living our lives together.
Now I have time and the means to go around the world
I find so much to see and do so close to my doorstep
Where I have everything I need or want in this life
The trips I might take another day glimmer on the horizon.
I travel around in my memories
To times and places that have flown past
Effortlessly getting there like teleportation
The most pleasant way to travel.
