The City

buildings
corrupted in the dark
mixed with the light
of strangers

          *

hurried feet
step by step on pavement—
and the dirt is deep
as little by little
they mark their souls

          *

organism of souls
who have their moment
and sink back down
to dark oblivion

          *

steam in the streets
with century old pipes bursting—
dreams of the riders
new as the city is old

          *

dark and still
the buildings watch
the empty streets below
as people gather
in windows, unaware

          *

soon there is a chorus
(one life is not enough)—
the flap of wings in the morning
and the crumbs cast off
by those old and alone

          *

there were bodies
many bodies
above, below the streets
and all were once with the city
all were once as one

          *

wind howled
through marked up canyons—
we braced ourselves
and howled back

          *

courtyards and roof decks—
places where we met
and drank our secret thoughts
in the nooks
where no one could see

          *

musicians wander
somewhere leaving notes
around the corners
where it is empty
as the night

          *

day divides
the bold into pieces
wrapped in curtains
closed to strangers

          *

she came down the stairs
hurried as someone left behind

          *

children laughed
running as she walked—
around the corner
and gone forever