What Does Golf Have To Do With ‘Star Trek’?

At the 34th street subway station, after I finished playing the ‘Star Trek’ theme, a guy who was video-taping me on his i-phone asked me to play it again. He placed his i-phone on his bag and he stood by me. While I played he made golf playing motions… He accidentally dropped his sun glasses…

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A Deluge of Poems About Street Musicians

I just posted a poem about busking yesterday, and a few hours later I received a fantastic comment, from Willa France who wrote: 14th St. Station on Wednesday, 19 January ~ 2:45 pm Saw Lady I descend into an alphabet maze of Union Square Station there entranced by ethereal sound teasing me in, on, around—…

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Busker Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin (American inventor and statesman) was a busker of sorts. He composed songs, poetry and prose about the political situation of his time and went out in public to perform them. As he was busking, he would sell printed copies of them to the public. His father was not happy about his son’s busking…

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Nobody Gets Out of this Alive

As I got off the train at the Union Square subway station two guys who were getting on the train said: “Saw Lady! How are you?” Just as I started to play, Chill, who sings on the trains with his acapella group, came to say ‘hi’. He told me that he was just released from…

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The Israeli Connection

When I arrived at the Music Under New York busking spot at the 34th street subway station, an Andean pan-flute player has been playing there for two hours. Tomorrow he has a booth at a street fair where he sells Andean clothings. He is worried that it might rain and the street fair will be…

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The Busker

Every now and than I come across poetry about busking which speaks to me. Here is one such beautiful poem by Alice in Wonderland: The Busker/ Alice in Wonderland The world passes you by, Sit, as you sing, smiling, A life in each red gold tangled hair, The cobbles hard beneath you. Sit, as you…

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Judging a Book by its Cover

As I was getting out of the train at the Union Square subway station a lady said to me: “I’m a fan! I told all my friends about you. Even to my friends in Japan I say – ‘we have the ‘Saw Lady’!’” At 12:18 the guy who always wears a green coat & black…

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Off the Streets

When I got to the Times Square subway station, a sanitation worker rode the elevator up from the platform with me. He greeted me with a cheerful ‘Hello’. He asked where I’ll be playing today and said he’ll come by to hear me because he always enjoys listening to me play. Buskers were asked by…

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Whiling Away the Ride

The ferry boats to Staten Island have names. The one I took this time, on my way to the Music Under New York busking spot in the ferry terminal, was named ‘American Spirit’. The Staten Island ferry landing place is modern, while the one right next to it, which launches the ferry to Governor’s Island,…

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The Busker

Every now and then I chance upon a poem about busking. Here is one from littlenedved, a 21 year old poet from Australia: THE BUSKER Central Station 8am The busker sits and plays his tune I close my eyes… i carries me, beyond the stars beyond the moon hes a modern bard guitar case open…

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