Alleys at Night
At night the moths unite and form a blanket over the lights in the alleys
Shades of red and yellow contrast over the grey pavement
Like a dream out of a comic book that a child keeps under his bed so that
His brother won’t steal it and bring it to the pawn shop that closes at ten
But still keeps the neon light on that faces the busy street
That only is busy when those drivers that follow its path
Know that it is not too late to
Find that place in the town
Where all of the night goes down
But only at night, because when there isn’t a spotlight
No one wants to act
The confines of boundaries formed by streets
Only are real when the occupants of the area see them
At night I go for a walk
To be able to be free from the silence of my apartment that only finds me
When I am lost in a book or the dishes in my sink
And when I need to find that something that I can’t explain
Something bigger than me but not better
I trust those few stars that don’t fade because of the city lights
And I zipper my jacket to block the cold
That seems to leave in time
Like a shadow within a vacuum of pitch black
Like a balloon that bursts without being pierced
Because in the night I don’t have to fake the energy
That I see around me during the day
Only because of a light
That I am accustomed to the fading of