I AM A NEW YORKER

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THE FOXFILES:
Reba's Eclectic Collection of Musings, Images and Annotated Webliographies

I was sent the following poem via e-mail on 04 January 2002.
For a long time thereafter, I did not know who the author was, but a fellow named Anthony recently dropped me an e-mail message, as I had requested, if anyone knew who did write this. Now I can finally give credit where credit is due -- thanks Anthony!
Except that I DO live Upstate, and only my Mother's parents came through Ellis Island;
My accent has hardly faded and (YES!)
I WAS raised on the Atlantic Ocean shore, at Far Rockaway --
I could almost have been its author! -- But I am not, that honor goes to Vincent Pasquale from Maspeth, New York.

Join with me, as I pray for my City, for its people, and for its future.
Celebrate with me, in loving my "home" --
When I uploaded this poem to my Web site I was living in New York's Capital District,
and although I have sinced moved even further Upstate,
to the Syracuse area,
I shall never forget the fear we experienced that day, wondering if terrorists thought the Capital of NY, or its beautiful Govenor's Mansion, were worthy targets of their wrath.
So, in memory of those events, I will keep the little image I put up here of the Empire State Plaza in downtown Albany.

I AM A NEW YORKER
By Vincent Pasquale
Maspeth, New York

I am a New Yorker.
I do not live in the five boroughs or on the Island or Upstate.
I may live hundreds or thousands of miles away or
I may live just over the GW Bridge.
But I am a New Yorker.

I am a New Yorker.
Whatever took me out of New York:
Business, family or hating the cold did not take New York out of me.
My accent may have faded and my pace may have slowed.
But I am a New Yorker.

I am a New Yorker.
I was raised on Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and Rockefeller Plaza,
the Yankees or the Mets (Giants or Dodgers),
Jones Beach or Rye Beach or one of the beaches on the Sound (Orchard Beach).
I know that "THE END" means Montauk.
Because I am a New Yorker.

I am a New Yorker.
When I go on vacation I never look up.
Skyscrapers are something I take for granted.
The Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty are part of me.
Taxis and noise and subways and "get outa heah" don't rattle me.
Because I am a New Yorker.

I am a New Yorker.
I was raised on cultural diversity before it was politically correct.
I eat Greek food and Italian food,
Jewish and Middle Eastern food and Chinese food.
Because they are all American food to me.
I don't get mad when people speak other languages in my presence.
Because my relatives got to this country via Ellis Island
and chose to stay.
They were New Yorkers.

I am a New Yorker.
People who have never lived in New York have misunderstood me.
My friends and family work in the industries,
professions and businesses that benefit all Americans.
My firefighters died trying to save New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers.
They died trying to save Americans and non-Americans.
Because they were New Yorkers.

I am a New Yorker.
I feel the pain of my fellow New Yorkers.
I mourn the loss of my beautiful city.
I feel and dread that New York will never be the same.
But then I remember:
I am a New Yorker.

And New Yorkers have:
Tenacity, strength and courage way above the norm.
Compassion and caring for our fellow citizens love and pride in our city,
in our state, in our country.
Intelligence, experience and education par excellence.
Ability, dedication and energy above and beyond.
Faith -- no matter what religion we practice.
Terrorists hit America in its heart.
But America's heart still beats strong.
Demolish the steel in our buildings,
but it doesn't touch the steel in our souls.
Hit us in the pocketbook;
but we'll parlay what we have left into a fortune.
End innocent lives leaving widows and orphans,
but we'll take care of them.
Because they are New Yorkers.

Wherever we live, whatever we do, whoever we are.
There are New Yorkers in every state and every city of this nation.
We will not abandon our city.
We will not abandon our brothers and sisters.
We will not abandon the beauty,
creativity and diversity that New York represents.
Because we are New Yorkers.

And we are proud to be New Yorkers.