Silence and Eyes

"There’s not a single soul in sight

On these silent city streets

My soundless footsteps seek the people

Locked inside for weeks

Never thought I’d see the day

That New York City sleeps... "

-The Aftermath of Unrest

There was no “New York Energy.” It was the shell of a city––as if the buildings were dry bones, resting peacefully in a graveyard of concrete.

The soul of the city is the endless stream of diverse people that flood the streets. It’s the liveliness of bars and restaurants. The honking of taxi cars and the rumble from the subway beneath your feet. It’s the smell of Halal carts, sidewalk garbage, and cherry blossoms.

New York City is electrifying, unexpected, and spontaneously chaotic in the most wonderful way. It’s a blur of people, places, and things all happening at once. New York City is alive. It’s the city that never sleeps.

Until it does.

Even though we were supposed to stay inside as much as possible, that didn’t stop me from restlessly wandering the empty city. When the Governor said it was okay to go for walks, that’s all I needed to know.

I followed all the rules…mask on, sanitizer handy, and distance kept between me and any lingering stranger on the street (although there were very few).

It was like being the last person on Earth. I walked in circles up and down 1st Ave, down 54th to Park, and back down 53rd––every single day, multiple times a day. It was safer staying close to home and it was better to walk with my thoughts instead of sit in place with them. At least I could blast music and lose myself in the surrounding emptiness of the City. These lonely walks became ritualistic. It was my new routine and a way to keep my sanity in check throughout the day.

The beginning of April was the worst of the pandemic. It was just before we “hit the climax” and were steadily approaching the darkest of days. On April 5 during one of my walks, I decided to sit on Park Avenue. It was just after a massive downpour and the concrete was shiny and sleek. The air smelled of rain and gravel. The city was absolutely silent. The rain had come and gone but there was nobody to get caught in it. The atmosphere was eerie, dark grey, and lifeless. The sound of the rushing fountain reverberated off the buildings and echoed down the empty street. The deep smoldering sky blended with the concrete. It was as if there was no difference between clouds, building shadows, and asphalt. Everything was one,blanketed in the ashy stillness of silence.

It was truly mind-shattering. Park Avenue was once one of the busiest streets in New York City and now it was completely empty. There wasn’t car in sight nor a person. Every few minutes, I would glance up from my notebook and see someone hopping over puddle and scurrying away; or a couple would walk by with their hoods pulled tight around their heads and masks covering most of their faces.

The city, in this moment, was now a world of two things: silence and eyes.

*Disclaimer: This is an except from the book “The Aftermath of Unrest” a link to the book is below.

About the Author: Natalie Nascenzi is a copywriter, poet, and author from Rhode Island. She moved to the city in 2017 to pursue her career in advertising. After a dramatic weight loss transformation of over 85 pounds and a journey through anxiety, depression, and loss of self, Natalie found herself again through words. Since then, she made an impression on New York City's open mic community and her works have been featured across the world in anthologies and independent publications. From her first book Out of Chaos to now, Natalie has spread her message of hope and transformation. You can find her on Instagram: @nncenzi. Her books are available worldwide online and at her website www.natalienascenzi.com.

Natalie’s personal mission is to promote hope and inspiration. In her own words, “I want people to know that you can do anything no matter who you are or what you go through. You truly are capable of anything. You just have to be strong enough to not give up on yourself.”