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