The Big City

A child from another country with another language comes to the Big City for the first time and experiences confusion.

The Big City

By Ralph Proenza

 

 

I came on a plane to this new land, from a place way to the South.

Suddenly found myself in school just in the First Grade.

The teachers spoke Gibberish and were all tall and very-very frightening.

When would I find out what they were saying?  I never learned these words.

Now at school, I felt like a leaf blown around by random winds.

 

The school was tall and wide and dark, more like prison blocs.

It was full of other children whose strange faces I had never seen;

Everyone a stranger, so different than I was.

All still speaking that mixed-up tongue---it was all gibberish to me.

 

This new country was supposed to be a new and wonderous place,

But the City was full of honking cars and full of choking smoke.

The people were all in a rush, all rude and talking gibberish, too.

And these tall buildings were all dark mountains blocking out the sun.

 

So far, it was nothing more than a confusion of humanity.

Amid the people, I was always lost, not knowing what they said,

Not knowing what was happening nor where that I should go.

 

Then my small mind started making sense of the gestures of my teachers,

Today I know what’s this is called:  it’s known as Body Language.

This new language was slowly replacing that mixed up gibberish.

And I connected all those motions with the Letters in my head,

Until I knew all these new words to replace the mixed-up ones.

Now, at last, the confusion gone; I know what’s being said.

I know where I am and what to do, and finally no longer lost.

 

But the people are all still rude to me, and still all in a rush.

I don’t know if I was better off, not knowing what they said before,

Alas now they, in the Big City, all tell me “GET OUT OF MY WAY!”

And Their pervasive rudeness continues as they tell me “Where To Go!”

  ~~ ~~ ~~

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

i think the speaker might have been better off not knowing.
I live in the woods these days...quite a peaceful environment...
but came from the city of NY...and all those blaring horns, other noise and brusque individuals passing by...
a child could feel so lost in that environment....not being used to it.
You brought me back to a time with this poem...really excellent imagery...you show rather than tell.
j.

[Ralph Proenza (Docralph)]

Thank You, Jacob. These are memories of my childhood.

[emmajoy]

For an adult to be in a country and not understand the language is bad enough.. there's such a cloak of helplessness top to toe and all around, but one tries to cope. But, dear goodness, for a small child, taken from familiar faces and places, smells and noises, no recognisable words to hang onto, no lyrics in sing a songs - grief, how must that be to sensitive, lonely child You've described time's experiences and emotions so very well.. but still, that one one jumps out..'gibberish' ... and yes.. a long word, a hard to spell word.. and more. This is such fine and original writing.

[Ralph Proenza (Docralph)]

Thank you so much, emmajoy! This actually describes the first six years of my childhood. Quite challenging. It affected my development in that I grew up timid and had to ‘work at’ becoming communicative as I grew up.

[emmajoy]

Childhood really does shape the future adult's spirit, can't it. In your case, must have been terrible; rather like living in isolation. Seems you've won through however.. certainly found inner strength from somewhere.

[Ralph Proenza (Docralph)]

Somewhere... Thank You :)