‘Spanish Harlem’: From Childhood Song to Caregiving Anthem
“My parents are quietly crumbling, and their house is crumbling around them.”
There is a rose in Spanish Harlem.
It is a special one, it’s never seen the sun
It only comes out when the moon is on the run
And all the stars are gleaming
It’s growing in the street right up through the concrete
But soft and sweet and dreaming
No, Dad, you shrank.
Dial M for Murder pum-pum-pum
With eyes as black as coal that look down in my soul
And starts a fire there and then I lose control
I have to beg your pardon
Oh my goodness,
I’m going to pick that rose
And watch her as she grows in my garden
La la la, la la la, la la la la
La la la, la la la, la la la la
Rasha Refaie is a writer living in New York City. Her essays and fiction have appeared in Brooklyn Magazine, The Chiseler, The Normal School, Newsday, New York Press, and other publications. She spends a lot of time in California, and sometimes tweets about handstands and police pursuits of stolen vehicles at @Rasha_Refaie.
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