Gilbert Diaz

Working Out My Ideal Stay

Everything that comes with a
Metropolis, in a smaller package.
The smell of nature flourishing.
Earthy brown and green sightings.

Garbage tucked in alleys.
Roads and bridges, tidy.

More plazas,
For siesta
Over coffee.

Hills spread
Across the city
To appreciate
Surroundings

4-day work week.
Hybrid.

2 months paid
Time off.

Infrastructure built
For
Running, walking, biking.

A beach
Nearby.
Ample hiking.

Mom and pop
Shops dominate
Economies.

Laid back feel
Society.

Capitalism with
Collectivist
Mindings.

Bio

Gilbert Diaz is a school counselor and poet raised in Washington Heights, NY. His writing is shaped by the rhythms of the city, the discipline of over a decade in Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and the perspective gained from traveling to 40 countries. When not working with students in the NYC public school system, he reads voraciously, writes reflectively, and dives deep into podcasts and politics. His work explores identity, resilience, and place—always with New York pulsing in the background.