West Side Rag
  • TOP NEWS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT US
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT
West Side Rag
No Result
View All Result
SUPPORT THE RAG

Search the site

No Result
View All Result
Get WSR FREE in your inbox
SUPPORT THE RAG

Hope Springs Eternal, A Love Letter to Central Park

April 15, 2022 | 8:48 AM
in ART, NEWS, OUTDOORS
14


Photographs by Jules Watson.

By Jules Watson

Every year for hundreds of years against all odds,

despite torrential rain and soul sucking winds and
dark howling storms

Somehow
Hope still springs eternal in New York City

And infinitesimally tiny and perfect translucent celery colored seeds and leaves battle and slink their way through the earth until they burst through the wet and trodden ground to greet us once again…

This rebirth, this metaphorical chance we have every year to begin anew

This is Spring.

When we long for our magnificent Central Park

As the sunlight dances and shimmers like diamonds on the Reservoir as ducks and their fledglings sail by,

the reflection of our city’s exalted architecture smooth like glass

As you hear baby bird song in the Ramble and the delicate new leaves rustle in the wind and seem to murmur just to you

and the bleat of a baby lamb at the zoo with impossibly kind eyes holds your gaze for what seems like hours

As the glorious tangle of young vulnerable buds in the Shakespeare Garden seduce a hummingbird

And the Whispering Bench draws you in to test its mysterious powers and you realize yet another year has flown by

As Strawberry Fields fills with families and best friends here on their Spring holidays chattering away in different languages, furiously gesturing as they take photographs, whilst the sound of children laughing echoes, you wonder if the distant tune of “Let it Be” is real or just in your mind

As the toy boats at Model Boat Pond glide

And the kites in Sheep’s Meadow fly high

And the rowboats weave and bobble after a long cold lonely winter under arched bridges who whisper welcome back…

As you wander past rippling brooks amid dappled sunlight’s caress

And you pause to gaze out and take a breath

to lean against one of the many splendid twisted fences, gnarled and smooth under your hand, your face in the sun, you ponder how many spirits have stood in this very spot over a hundred years…

As the cherry blossoms float on a breeze and the carpet beneath is dusty rose velvet

And the clippity-clop of royal purple horse drawn carriages swoon past and the mouthwatering fragrance from your childhood of cotton candy engulfs you

And the music plays
Amid the late afternoon Spring haze

You smile and you sway

You long to be back on your favorite white and gold and cherry red toy horse at the Carousel, where the haunted giggles of times gone by and the organ tunes waft around you and there isn’t a care in the world

And like every year, you are assaulted by memories of your youth, and you feel an urgent need to visit the grand statues of Central Park, who greet you like old friends through the imposing black gates into the exquisite Conservatory Gardens….

you nestle into the cool shade of the Burnett fountain, where the tale of The Secret Garden leaps into your mind, and you are flung back in time to Mary and Colin’s innocent secret world

and stand very still enraptured by the dancing maidens with their chiseled and wild and joyful faces who dare you to join them in their unabashed frolics

and you stroll down past the Mad Hatter, standing guard since 1959 as untold hordes of ecstatic children climb into Alice’s worn but shiny lap, lost in a daydream hoping to absorb her bewitching magic

As the last afternoon breeze makes fields of tulips like giant gumdrops undulate to and fro

And the lampposts’ early evening glow casts its amber sheen on lovers

and the music in the park surrounds you and you feel like you are in a movie, not real life

And, on cue, a perfect chilled martini makes its way to you as you sink into the moss green tufted banquettes at the bar at Tavern on the Green

And the twinkle lights come up

Later, as you wander home through the enchanted forest that is Central Park you smile, and consider this gift, that has landed at your feet, like a present wrapped in emerald green satin ribbon on your birthday.

Every Spring you are amazed that it is in fact, a gift that lasts your whole life long.

A gift that reminds us that even in this treacherous period we are living through, as a community and a society,
that the loyalty and the collective consciousness of the
ever mystifying plant world has remained true and strong and is back again to hypnotize us with its beauty

To calm us from our fears

To charm a new generation of children as a sacred bumble bee once again sucks the sweet nectar out of a blossoming magenta flower so rich in its hue you draw in a breath

To remind us that mankind must continue to honor and protect the natural world as it unwaveringly has protected us.

All of this delectable beauty and wonder

Yours…to savor alone, or to share…

every day, every season

This park…

That nurtures our soul

And keeps hope alive

And brings people together

And creates cherished memories

Here’s to joyous Spring in New York!

And our precious Central Park

There’s nothing in the world quite like it…

Aren’t we lucky?

 

Jules Watson is the poet who gave us, Coming Home: A Love Letter to the Upper West Side.

Share this article:
SUPPORT THE RAG
guest

guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

14 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Karen
Karen
3 years ago

Thank you!

0
Reply
Paul
Paul
3 years ago

Lovely But one thing people ought to consider.

Before the leaves fill in you get some great sight lines in and through the park, views that will soon be obscured.

Take advantage of that.

0
Reply
Vicky
Vicky
3 years ago

Enjoyed your piece, Jules! All best, Vicky

0
Reply
Margaret Goodman
Margaret Goodman
3 years ago

Absolutely wonderful! Those of us who live within easy walking distance of Central Park are indeed blessed!

0
Reply
Ellen Jacobs
Ellen Jacobs
3 years ago

Wonderful reminder of happy days shared in Central Park. Thank you!

0
Reply
Patty
Patty
3 years ago

That was so lovely. Thank you

0
Reply
Jane
Jane
3 years ago

Lovely! Thank you, Julie!

0
Reply
Trudi
Trudi
3 years ago

For those of us uprooted but always New Yorkers at heart, these photos are precious. Memories of walks, liaisons, picnics/concerts, et al, come rushing back.

Deep thanks.

0
Reply
tnic
tnic
3 years ago

Thank you for your thoughtful positive energy.

0
Reply
Heidi S.
Heidi S.
3 years ago

Thank you Jules for such a lovely piece, bringing back so many fun & beautiful memories!! 🙏💕

0
Reply
Joe
Joe
3 years ago

A wondwrful piece. Thanks for sparking some memories and reminding me of why I love this park. More love letters please!

0
Reply
jezbel
jezbel
3 years ago

I was walking through another park today – one in another east coast city. Although the cherry blossoms were in bloom and there is a Japanese tea house in the middle of the park, and it too has also been loved by generations, it cannot hold a candle to New York City’s Central Park. Which each year is lovingly restored, the trees and shrubs well maintained and the benches ready for families. Fairmount Park in Phildelphia is also old, stately and large. But it is poorly maintained, the benches in disrepair so sad looking. The trees call out for attention, which they badly need, but they do not get.
It only made me miss my Central Park even more.

0
Reply
Butch
Butch
3 years ago

What a lovely ode to the beautiful treasure that is Central Park! Thank you Jules for helping to guide our appreciation of the beauty in our world during these difficult times and to the Westside Rag for bringing us this wonderful voice.

0
Reply
Linsey
Linsey
3 years ago

I lived for 34 years a building away from Central Park. I was in the park almost every day; biking, playing with my daughter at the playgrounds, picnicking in the Sheep Meadow, playing tennis, and lots of walking. Now I live 60 miles north, surrounded by woods and reservoirs. When people ask me if I miss the city, I always reply, “Yes, I miss Central Park.” Thank you for that beautiful tribute.

0
Reply

YOU MIGHT LIKE...

‘Rebel With a Clause’ Is a Love Letter—to Grammar and the Upper West Side
ART

‘Rebel With a Clause’ Is a Love Letter—to Grammar and the Upper West Side

June 16, 2025 | 1:53 PM
Here’s the UWS Dish: Raenu Thai’s Beef Salad
COLUMNS

Here’s the UWS Dish: Raenu Thai’s Beef Salad

June 16, 2025 | 8:15 AM
Previous Post

NYC Unveils Changes to ‘Gifted’ Program, Adding 1,000 Seats to Third Grade

Next Post

An Act of ‘Audible Kindness’ Honoring Those Lost to COVID

this week's events image
Next Post
An Act of ‘Audible Kindness’ Honoring Those Lost to COVID

An Act of 'Audible Kindness' Honoring Those Lost to COVID

Immigrant-Inspired Restaurant Opens Near ‘San Juan Hill’

Immigrant-Inspired Restaurant Opens Near 'San Juan Hill'

Celebrate Earth Day by Protecting Our Curbside Trees and Having Fun — Plus Free Tote Bags

Celebrate Earth Day by Protecting Our Curbside Trees and Having Fun -- Plus Free Tote Bags

  • ABOUT US
  • CONTACT US
  • NEWSLETTER
  • WSR MERCH!
  • ADVERTISE
  • EVENTS
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • TERMS OF USE
  • SITE MAP
Site design by RLDGROUP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • TOP NEWS
  • THIS WEEK’S EVENTS
  • OPEN/CLOSED
  • FOOD
  • SCHOOLS
  • OUTDOORS
  • REAL ESTATE
  • ART & CULTURE
  • POLITICS
  • COLUMNS
  • CRIME
  • HISTORY
  • ABSURDITY
  • ABOUT
    • OUR STORY
    • CONTRIBUTORS
    • CONTACT US
  • WSR SHOP

© 2025 West Side Rag | All rights reserved.