Poster Image
$20
Item#: 2003SYR04
Purchase Details
11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.
You also receive…
An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.
Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.
Poem Inspiration Location
Long Drive, Weary Eyes
poster information
Description
Long drive, weary eyes—
Cityscape lights the night sky
Syracuse, I'm home!
Driving north on I-81, you get to that hilly country around Lafayette. You reach the crest of a hill, and then you see, at night, the lights of Syracuse. It's lovely, especially after a long journey—really lit up. I feel like Dorothy finally getting to Emerald City.
You know, it's a local pastime to grouse about Syracuse—the weather, etc. But a lot of people I've heard say they like this homecoming view of the city. Every time I drive that stretch at night, I have the same feeling: Yeah, I live here, this is my city and I'm glad to be home.
The poem reminds me of coming back to Syracuse and being relieved and happy that I'm back. I'm from Massachusetts, so the drive is like five hours.
Although Massachusetts is home to me, I definitely feel at home in Syracuse, too. I mean, it's where I spend most of my time, and it's where my friends are.
Originally I was going to paint something with the highway, but the poem already tells you that you're driving. And that's not as appealing as what you're thinking about as you arrive.
When I think of life in Syracuse, I picture Armory Square. Going there with my friends, and just enjoying the downtown, is a large part of what we like to do. So that's what the painting was based on.