Greta Garbo, a snapshot by Inge Feltrinelli, 1952.

By Gerard Malanga

Inge’s foto of Garbo grabbed in profile
in mostly shades of gray
barely hints the time of day
it might’ve been taken; say
around 4: an undisclosed street comer midtown Manhattan.
Obsessed in remaining unrecognized
in surroundings as mistaken as she.
A city in the throes
of constantly deleting its history. The mindset of those
moments to wanna lose oneself
in the crowd of likewise anonymities;
the untold stories forever untold.
The whizzing cars, the rushhour shadows.
The end–of–day quiet alone in your thoughts.
Or the one person at a street comer
waiting for the light to change and going her way.
It could’ve been anyone. The soul a little less so.