21st & Belmont Ave.

On the corner of 

     21st & Belmont Ave.

cars roll by 

          between the historic  

  buildings of

      Hillsboro Village... 

the warmth of bricks

    cooked in the Summer

day's heat

       radiates through 

   my blouse 

& warms my back...

the sun begins 

   to make its decent

behind the 

       buildings & trees 

in the distance... 

  A four-string quartet 

plays festively 

      directly across 

the street from 

  where I stand... 

 their symphonic melodies

           grip something

deep inside me

     and inspire me to 

skip & dance

   down the streets

of Music City... 

     birds accompany 

us from the tree tops, 

         singing their sweet

approval... 

   tourists visiting town 

            for the CMA fest 

  walk among orange cones

    & brick walkways, 

  wide-eyed and jubilant, 

taking in the vibrant

     colors, lights, & sounds

of my lovely city... 

   occasionally one will 

stop to chat... 

 others run down the 

pavement yelling, 

   attempting to catch

a cab... 

  the sound of a solitary 

fiddle

    filters across the 

street & into

 my very soul... 

I pause

    to breathe it in

like air... 

        because music

is just as essential 

        to life

as your very

        next breath,

 you know..

   music from a nearby 

tavern travels 

    on the soft breeze

& joins in with the 

     rustling of the leaves...

  the young & the old

pass by, 

   each greeting me with 

a smile

   as my eyes meet

         theirs... 

more & more lights 

   begin to illuminate 

the street 

     as the sun 

sinks further still, 

  casting a soft glow

across the sky

     & upon the tallest

buildings... 

     the Nashville MTA

charges by, 

       shuttling more tourists 

     towards the heart 

of the city, 

   to introduce them 

to the dazzling nightlife, 

  where buildings tower

high above, 

     casting a neon glow

across the faces

  of aspiring musicians 

     playing on every corner... 

 where one can 

        bar hop

all night long

   & listen to any genre 

            of music 

one so chooses... 

     the lights reflect

 off of the Cumberland River,

     winding below 

   1st Avenue... 

         "I love Nashville," one 

particularly bright-eyed

   tourist comments as he

passes by... 

      8 o'clock arrives, 

and I begin to pack up 

         my masterpiece

of a display

     for the Village

art walk... 

     By 8:20pm

         everything is tucked

snugly away in my

        little black car, 

parked a couple blocks

    up Wedgewood Ave....

I lean up 

      against the 

warm black steel frame, 

   take a swig from 

my water bottle

      & take a deep breath...

my body begs me

     to take it home

so it can collapse 

        on my mat &

not wake till dawn...

       I look up at the 

sky, now full 

   of bright orange-pink 

           clouds

& once again take 

   in the sounds

of the city... 

    I decide that I am 

not ready for this 

long, 

    yet perfect day

to end... 

  so I lock up my 

car & begin to walk back 

       towards the now 

artificially lit strip 

   known as 

        Hillsboro Village... 

 I walk the length of 

   the strip

      & double back 

to Fido to grab a bite

    to eat &

      wind down from the day...

 I order a hummus sandwich

     & fruit tea, 

then walk outside to sit 

  at one of the cool, tin tables,

       the perfect spot

for people watching... 

  across the street, 

         the bright neon sign 

of Sam's Sports Bar & Grill 

    flashes across the 

       hoods of the passing cars

that separate us... 

   the smell of cigarettes  fills

my nostrils... 

      I take in another deep breath, 

inhaling the harsh fumes, 

            then I bury myself 

in my book, 

    occasionally peeking up 

at the Nashvillians 

       passing by... 

 finally, I close the pages 

        of the book & 

look once again at my 

             surroundings...

       more tourists wander by,

trying to find where a certain bar

   across town might be... 

  "I love Nashville..."

             I stand up 

and put my belongings

in my satchel,

           cross the street, 

 & slowly make my way

    back to my car... 

    Windows down, 

         Civil Wars coming 

from my stereo, 

   the city lights

       shining brilliantly 

all around me... 

          I get home

and toss my fedora 

               on the coffee table

& plop down 

     on the couch...

 I look down 

         & my feet are

covered in 

            Tennessee dirt... 

 a sign that says I had 

    a successfully 

adventurous evening... 

    "I love Nashville."