A brick town square, a flag, a church:
the small town of Carlisle,
the college at its heart,
cradled in farmlands
and Central Pennsylvania hills.
Grace, the Admissions interviewer,
shakes my hand, smiles warmly—
Sitting there,
in this greenhouse of an office,
full of plants and light wood,
I try to put back on my old self.
Talk to Grace enthusiastically
about Astronomy, Yearbook, Peer Mentorship.
She asks about New York City.
Flash to the cyclones of trash,
the homeless, the rush of crowds.
I tell her the city is vibrant, energetic,
but I’m ready for a change,
I need the peace
of small town life, for a while.
I ask her if students can see the stars at night.
And she smiles.