Paired: Holmes + Wetzsteon

Cherry Blossoms by Joseph O. Holmes

Sakura Park

The park admits the wind,
the petals lift and scatter

like versions of myself I was on the verge
of becoming; and ten years on

and ten blocks down I still can’t tell
whether this dispersal resembles

a fist unclenching or waving goodbye.
But the petals scatter faster,

seeking the rose, the cigarette vendor,
and at least I’ve got by pumping heart

some rules

Paired: Krum + Paley

New York (Peony) by Gregory Krum

One Day

One day
one of us
will be lost
to the other
 
this has been
talked about but
lightly   turning
away   shyness   this
business of con-
fronting the
preference for
survival

            my mother said   the
            children are grown   we
            are both so sick   let us
            die together   my father
            replied    no no   you
            will be well    he lied
 
of course I
want you in the world
whether I’m in it or
not   your spirit
I probably mean
 
there is always
something to say   in
the end   speaking
without

Not Ideas About the Thing But the Thing Itself

@caterina and @cdixon make some great points in support of NYC’s nascent tech revival.

Chris:
New York City has many of the same strengths as Silicon Valley – merit-driven capitalism, the embrace of newcomers and particularly immigrants, and a consistent willingness to reinvent itself.

Caterina:
…it may be that creativity and invention are more dependent on the networks in which the creator participates than their individual genius or their willingness to put in the hours.

Paired: Hido + Carver

2314c by Todd Hido

The Phone Booth

She slumps in the booth, weeping
into the phone. Asking a question
or two, and weeping some more.
Her companion, an old fellow in jeans
and denim shirt, stands waiting
his turn to talk, and weep.
She hands him the phone.
For a minute they are together
in a tiny booth, his tears
dropping alongside hers. Then
she goes to lean against the

Paired: Thiebaud + O’Hara

Celebration Cakes by Wayne Thiebaud

Lines for the Fortune Cookies

I think you’re wonderful and so does everyone else.

Just as Jackie Kennedy has a baby boy, so will you–even bigger.

You will meet a tall beautiful blonde stranger, and you will not say hello.

You will take a long trip and you will be very happy, though alone.

You will marry the

Harvest by Wout Berger

Harvest (2007) by Wout Berger | 120×150 cm, ed. of 6

I have nothing to pair this image with, it’s just one that I’ve loved for a few years now.

Paired: Soth + Stevens

Cone and Cigar, Falcon Heights, Minnesota by Alec Soth
From The Last Days of W

The Emperor of Ice Cream

Call the roller of big cigars,
The muscular one, and bid him whip
In kitchen cups concupiscent curds.
Let the wenches dawdle in such dress
As they are used to wear, and let the boys
Bring