On the seventeenth floor in Luna Park,
Neighbors would gather just after dark.
Many beliefs and nationalities,
We shared our delicious specialties.
Everyone talked, had fun and cared,
A little part of our lives were shared.
We then sat, waited for pitch darkness to fall,
Then a hush came upon us all.
We waited for the special boat in the ocean.
Looking for the first lighted motion.
Bursts of bright yellow, green and red,
Booming sounds went right through my head.
Fireworks looked like a starburst or some weird bird.
“Ooo-s” and “Ah-s” could always be heard.
When it was over we stayed up late,
Until we tasted goodies on everyone’s plate.
The lights from the Wonder Wheel, the screams from the Cyclone,
Coney Island was exciting, you never felt alone.
The smell of the sea on a foggy night,
The crunch of Nathan’s hot dogs always grilled just right.
But those friends on my floor with their neighborly ways,
Will stay with me for the rest of my days.
– Roberta Ann Afflitto