The View from the Roof, Waverly Place by Cornelius Eady
The View from the Roof, Waverly Place
Cornelius EadyBy accident, I gaze at
These two young guys
Standing on the roof across
From my office window, a moment
Otherwise theirs. They watch
And listen to Sixth Avenue.
They talk. They have time
In their lives for a smoke.
Then the one on the left loops
His arm around the other’s shoulder,
—My buddy, my buddy. They have
A quilt of lives spread below them,
The cool thrill of looking down.
MARGINALIA
1.
Day 26 of The Sealey Challenge. Today’s offering is The Gathering of My Name by Cornelius Eady.
2.
This collection delves deeply into the complex journey of understanding one’s sense of self—the very act of gathering suggests a reclaiming of what has been lost, overlooked, or taken away.
3.
I love the use of language here—how it blends the musicality of verse with the harsh realities of life. The poems resonate with the rhythm and soul of the blues, a genre deeply rooted in African American history and experience. The blues serve not just as a musical influence, but as a form through which the poet channels the struggles, joys, and sorrows of life.
4.
How do we piece together a fuller understanding of the self within a world that often fractures it? What I found at the heart of this book is the realisation that there is power in naming, in gathering our own stories and truths—in gathering the pieces that make us whole.
KEEP READING
SHARED WITH GRATITUDE
This poem appeared in The Gathering of My Name by Cornelius Eady, published by Carnegie Mellon University Press, 1991. (Available on: Amazon • Bookshop)
ABOUT CORNELIUS EADY
Poet and cofounder of Cave Canem Cornelius Eady’s published collections include Victims of the Latest Dance Craze (Omnation Press, 1986), winner of the Lamont Poetry Prize from the Academy of American Poets; The Gathering of My Name (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 1991), nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; Brutal Imagination (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2001), a National Book Award finalist; and Hardheaded Weather: New and Selected Poems (G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2008). He is a recipient of… (more)
Read more poems by Cornelius Eady • Find books by this poet on Amazon • Bookshop • Follow on Instagram • Website • Or view my library
ENDNOTES
- This is Day 26 of The Sealey Challenge 2024—a community challenge to read one book of poetry a day for the month of August, named after Nicole Sealey.
- Explore other works in pursuit of: paying attention • strangers • cities • Or browse the index
- If this work resonates with you, please consider supporting the archive. Thank you for reading.
