City Window

The rusty roofs and red brick

Splay out like mismatched pieces

On a poor man’s quilt

Your vision blurs

Under the influence

Of smog

And rising steam

Can you see it,

Trying to block out this dull scene?

This urban oasis

This Mecca of bohemia

Where the dreams

Of starving artists litter the ground

Like candy for that gutter below

Those dreams stretch

Clamber in desperation

For an overcast sky

But the clouds are like dream catchers

Trapping our desires

Before the stars above

Even have a chance to focus

In our eyes, sparkling with a glamour

That blinded us to the truth

The metallic towers in the distance

Scraping our sky

Stand like promises

Calling us out of the woodwork

The alleys

The ghettos

They want to churn you through the system

Wear you down

Rust you up a bit

Like the junk in the yard down the street

The cars below are singing a dreary song

Like a chorus of sirens

Wailing as they swim by

On the black, tar river

Do you hear that?

They’re trying to warn you

Stay away from this town

Go play on your sunshine hills

Go dance in your quaint, clean lakes

This city is no place

For the young and hopeful