“And the sign said,
The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls
And tenement halls
And whispered in the sound of silence.”
from the “Sounds of Silence” sung by Simon & Garfunkel
Written by Paul Simon, Nat Simon, Gordon Jenkins
from the album “Sounds of Silence,” released 17.January.1966

A door and its message: seen on the subway platform of the N/R/Q line.

In a previous posting I highlighted the ephemeral nature of art on the streets of New York City. With this photo posting the transient nature of wisdom is brought to light.

I found this insight, not on a subway wall, as Simon & Garfunkel sing about, but on a subway door beneath a staircase. It is located on the N/R/Q yellow line subway platform at the 14th Street/Union Square subway station.

Although I disagree with the placement, I do agree with the sentiment. Some may say that whomever scrawled this message on the door was ignorant. I would say misguided.

Apparently the Metropolitan Transit Authority disagrees with the placement too. A few weeks after I saw this graffiti, it had been painted over, and the message wiped from view.