Once on This Island

(With thanks to prima guapa Rachel)

From Boston to Hyannis and 

Across then across the water 

To the island of Nantucket.

I’ve been here in the summer, late spring, and winter,

I’ve seen soft pink roses climbing up the trellises and walls

I’ve seen icicles dripping off the picket fences

I’ve been here before it’s warm enough to swim

And hot enough to brave the chilly water.

I’ve cycled down to the beach

And sat on the warm sand

And fed myself hot chips,

I’ve sat on the deck at the brewery 

When the sky was bright blue

And the sun was warm

And the local wines were flowing.

I’ve sat in the Bean when the weather outside was biting cold and played Scrabble and drunk hot chocolate,

I’ve sung in the church choir at Christmas

And stood in my tita’s impossibly tiny kitchen and 

Learnt to bake American style Christmas treats, 

Sugar cookies, lemon love notes and chocolate truffles 

I’ve built gingerbread houses covered in candy 

And danced the chicken dance on New Year’s Eve.

I’ve walked down Main Street countless times

To the beautiful home of my Titos de Nantucket.

I’m not just a mainland tourist

I’m family,

And the familiar (haha!) lovely welcoming warmth of it

Is comforting.

The island may seem idyllic, 

It is indeed beautiful,

But being here over several visits over the past few years

I know it is a place where people live their lives.

There is joy and heartache and work and life

Just like any other place,

But today I sat on the wharf

With my book

And I watched the boat ferrying my prima back to Boston 

Head out of the bay

And I sent her a message to remind her to throw two pennies overboard

To ensure she will return

And the sun was warm

And the water was shimmering

And I smiled my thank you to the beach

That I can be here

And feel like I’m ever welcome 

To share in the magic of the island

The end. 

LA-NYC-MA-ACK

And you find yourself on a mountain. And over to your left is the Hollywood sign, unfocused and blurry not from romantic screens over the camera but from the haze that covers the sprawling city. But still the view is pretty and surprises you because there is more green than you ever expected or remembered from your last time in this place. And then you are sitting in a chair that gives you a massage while one lady buffs and files and paints your nails while another buffs and files and paints your toenails and suddenly you are in a restaurant which serves the best quality food and it makes you happy to know that there is a place that values organic whole foods too. It even has a name here. Macrobiotics. And you spend time with friends and you play games with dice in red cups and you work together to save yourselves from the sinking island and capture the treasure and escape before it's too late and because there are more of you playing you can't quite figure out how to do it and the game sinks you twice.

And suddenly you are on the other side of the country watching the Tony Awards in Brooklyn. And it is nice to be with people who have even been to see some of the shows, let alone know what the Tony Awards are. And then you are standing on the High Line, a disused railway line that is now a garden. And it really is delightful to walk above the New York hustle and bustle and be amongst the greenery. And then you are in Central Park, and the Frick Museum, and then you are walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and you find yourself in a little shop drinking hot chocolate spiced with chili and cinnamon and nutmeg because although it is the beginning of summer this afternoon is a little cold with a constant drizzle of rain and it is perfect weather for spicy hot chocolate and little hand-made chocolates.

And then you are in Boston. And you are with your cousin. And although she is several years younger than you, and you grew up continents apart, she gets you. She understands. She is like you. And it is nice to be with a kindred spirit. And you eat pizza with goat's cheese and fig and caramelized onion. And you sit in an Irish-style pub and listen to an Italian musician sing convincing drinking songs, and everyone around you is banging the table with their hands and singing and laughing and even thought the room is dark the mood is light and you enjoy your red wine and your gorgonzola melt and singing and laughing with the rest of them. And then you are in Salem and you marvel at the history of it all and when did that history become a tourist attraction? The cemetery with its old graves makes you shake your head in wonder. A grave from 1692! And you look out at the lake behind Kassie's house and marvel at all the events that have brought you to this place, this whole year-and-a-half of events, and you are glad that you are here with this beautiful friend overlooking a beautiful lake.

 

And then you find yourself on Nantucket. And you are with Los Titos de Nantucket. And they make you feel so at home, so welcome. And although there are many memories here, you feel OK. And it surprises you to feel OK. And it makes you feel better. And you wander around town and feel joy in all the flowers and the prettiness of the place. And you are walking along the beach looking out to the Atlantic. And all around you are shells - the flat mother-of-pearl ones are Indian currency. The round stripy ones are scallop shells and remind you of the Camino, but these are smaller. There are rocks and shells of every colour and the sand alternates between soft and rough and you watch a seagull picking its way through a fresh crab. And as you get closer, the gull picks up its lunch and moves further down the beach, lest you try to steal his catch of the day. 

And you breathe in the salty air. And on the ferry you toss two pennies overboard, just past the lighthouse, to make sure you will return. And as you approach the lighthouse you inspect the pennies and discover that there is a penny for each of the years your sisters were born, the older and the younger, and you think that is a nice touch of coincidence. Your family are with you wherever you go. And you hope that by throwing those pennies up into the air and sparkling down into the water below, they will draw your sisters here, and bring you back too. To this pretty place where you have so many friends and so much delight.