'Come in' the gap that opened in the wall seemed to say, 'I’ll give you
shelter from the storm.'
(In case you are wondering, she's reading 'The Bachelors' by Muriel Spark.)
A few years ago, one cold afternoon in December as we drifted down the
streets of New York City, the sun blushed shyly looking at the bare trees and
the almost as bare streets. We weaved
our way through West Chelsea, West Village– though mostly sticking to the 8th
Avenue. Somewhere in time, 8th Avenue tuned into Hudson Street and
we stood transfixed by a gap in a wall– a gate to a secret garden. Well, if the
garden was supposed to be a secret, it is probably the worst kept secret in
time. However, as we entered the delight that is the garden of St Luke in the Fields, it felt as if we had come upon a secret all of our own. And since then every
time I see that gate in the wall, even though it is the reason why I’ve left the house, it feels as if I’ve discovered a hidden gem.
Regardless of the fact that every single bench is occupied. Or that probably
every single person who visits this sanctuary has had these same thoughts.
For this is where people in this part of the city come when they seek
tranquility. And hummingbirds.
