Jon has been pretty quiet in 2016, and for good reason. He's been working on a second collection of poems about his beloved New York City. And today, we're proud to publish them.
Jon's first collection of poems about New York, which he published last August, can be enjoyed here.
The Big Apple
by Jon
They call New York the Big Apple
Well guess what it's like an apple from the Bible
Where Adam ate it
Sin City, Baby ...
The devil in the details.
Shout Out to the Five Boroughs
by Jon
This one goes out to the five boroughs of New York City
Manhattan, which is party central.
Brooklyn, home of the #1 pizza
The City That Never Sleeps
by Jon
Seems like in this crazy town
Everybody's trying to get to where they are trying to go.
Plane? Sure. Train? You bet.
Car? Take the wheel!
Through highways and byways
From 1st Street to the road by the park that is like a circle shape
Seems like the whole world is a circle shape sometimes
Maybe the world's like a pizza pie so why don't you grab a slice
Don't mind if I do!
Hats off to a great beer!
by Jon
Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name
You wanna be where you can see
Our troubles are all the same
You wanna go where everybody knows young man
Down and out on 1st Street
by Jon
Walkin' up and down 1st Street
Yeeeeahhhh
This town will chew you up and spit you out
Yeeahhh
So stick with me, kid
We'll end up on top of this crazy town
You Are Not You're Fr**king Khakis
by Jon
Saw a man the other day in a suit
Walking down the street on 1st Street
Said "hey, you know what you're lookin' for?"
He's like "I'm looking for my soul."
I was like
Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn
It's New York Time
by Jon
It's New York time
Set your clocks for ...
Times Square.
Orwellian nightmare
by Jon
You think you're doing great in your fancy skyscraper mansion
Right there on 1st Avenue
Well think about this, what about government problems
And also inflation problems with money
Think about it
Seems like everywhere you go
by Jon
Seems like everywhere you go in this town
There's a sign telling you what to do
Stop!
Go!
Crosswalk
Street
This way, that way
No gum
Construction in progress
Airport
Yeah right I don't need your rules
I live by my own rules
Stop and go well yeah right
Take it to some other sucker down the road
Hundred miles an hour
By Jon
Sometimes it feels like this town is moving
A hundred miles an hour
Cruisin'
by Jon
Cruisin' down First Street
The party strip of New York
Er ... did I say party strip?
Try strip steak. Medium rare, cooked all the way through.
They know how I like my food at the Times Square Steakhouse
Big steak seasoned and cooked to perfection
Cup of water
Parsley on the side (do not eat)
Side item, baby
Second side item, my friend
Every time I smell the smells coming from the Times Square Steakhouse
I throw on the brakes, baby
SCREEEEEEEECH!!!!!!
And now it's time for QUITE a meal.
Hangin' with the boys at the dock
by Jon
Yeah we're down by the dock
Workin' on the clock
Loading crates onto the boat
What's in it? Where's it from? Where's it goin'?
Beats me, pal
I'm just an employee of the dock company
This Crazy Town (reprise)
by Jon
This crazy town ...
This crazy town.
If you have lived here for less time than me, I am going to beat your ass. That is a promise
I have lived here for 1.5 years
This crazy town