Freddy Zalta

Poetry, Love and Coffee – A cocktail of a life in progress.

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  • Change the Channel or Rewrite the Ending

    An F train ride becomes a meditation on time — the old man across the aisle, two women smiling across a divide at 18th Avenue, and the question of whether to change the channel or rewrite the ending.

  • Just Like Sweet Melinda’s Blues

    after “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” by Bob Dylan She was a dark-skinned princess without a kingdom, though she had no shortage of suitors — myself among them. We just stood there smiling, posing, trying not to be taken for urchins in need of salvation. Why she chose me out of all the orphans from…

  • Hold My Hand

    A poem about walking through the seasons of a life — and the one thing we keep asking for.

  • Why Try and Change Now?

    Autumn in my Brooklyn neighborhood felt like a rebirth — stiff corduroy pants, the bus stop at East 4th and Kings Highway, Eve, and the Carvel on East 3rd. I’m sixty now. Why try and change?

  • Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

    Yellow brick roads are meant to be followed. I’ve wandered away from them too many times while searching for the land of Oz. I’ve been the scarecrow, but I’ve never been the Tin man or the lion.

  • Soundtracks of My Life – Billy Joel

    I was hooked. I listened to that song and recorded it from the radio keeping that cassette in my draw so no one could tape over it. I knew it by heart; but didn’t think too much about the artist. I was still in my Bob Dylan, Elton John, Beatles phase so, my ears were…

  • Father’s Day

    I was around 20 years of age and riding the train with my father who was around 72 years. We ran up the steps to the F train on Kings Highway. It was around 3pm and we had three stops to make to pick up airline tickets.In my mind my father was old at the…

  • Empty Cup of Coffee

    This morning as I stirred my coffee, a little sugar and mild; I once again, became nostalgic. I know my past wasn’t always so exciting and hopeful. I had two son’s from my first marriage and I could never spend enough time with them. I was unhappy in my job and I possessed the arrogance…

  • August

    I first drove a car when I was 14 years old. I simply turned the key, shifted into drive and was free. Until I saw a red light ahead and I stepped on the brake. The car stopped short and thrust me into the steering wheel and then I put it in park without coming…

  • Maybe…

    I came alone but quickly sat next to some other people who seemed to be escaping the confines of the office as I was. As I sat there I joined their conversation about baseball. There was one fervent New York Mets fan and she was adorable. She was in her thirties and had a smile…

  • City bus to Nowhere

    I was wearing a black leather coat, not as cool as it sounds, it was outdated and had tears in the sleeves. On my feet were wide sneakers and on my legs were a decade old pair of jeans. In my hand was the story of my life, Steinbeck’s “Winter of my Discontent,” and my…

  • The Muttering River Chapter 2

    The lake was on the other side of the county – I never really went there too often since I felt, in a strange way, that I was cheating on the river by enjoying the lake. Strange since I also felt like I was cheating on Jacklyn by enjoying Sandy.

  • Missing you – A void in my Heart

    The TE-AMO on Kings Highway closed and no one even made a sound. We used to buy our baseball cards there and then trade them – I got my Bruce Boisclair card from you for a Mickey Rivers plus the gum from your pack. We also used to get our pink spaldings and our sunflower…

  • Here Comes the Sun or Memories from a Coffee Shop in Coney Island

    Scenes from an old coffee shop in Coney Island where we used to go…too much sugar in that small cup made your tongue taste sweeter than it should have. It must have been me, must have been my fault. I had no idea, I had no clue – I still have no idea and have…

  • Soundtracks of My Life – Bob Dylan

    One day I had the nerve to switch sides and put the album on side 2. My life changed… “Mr. Tambourine man.” I closed my eyes and listened to him and I was mesmerized; Then take me disappearin’ through the smoke rings of my mind Down the foggy ruins of time, far past the frozen…

  • Elton John (Soundtracks from my Life)

    His songs continue to be the soundtrack of my life; “Something about the way you look tonight” was my wedding song and his “Songs from the West Coast” remains as one of my favorite and most listened to albums. His “The Captain and the Kid” album was the sequel to “Captain Fantastic” album from 31…

  • Salt, Pepper and some Spice Please!

    No obstructions should be placed around our borders to stop good people from seeking a better life. Our country was founded by refugees, immigrants and expelled members from other countries. Could you imagine who our country would be like if we all had one color, one language and one belief? How boring would that be?…