Night, Winter

welcome to the poverty of night

the dissolute light
embeds itself
in the womb of darkness

the buildings cower

in the absence of light
the blaring store fronts
beacon like polished china
and all the world is glittering

we pass the apathetic beggar

the gaudy tinsel
our lady of the rain
and the world glitters

the dragon clouds

swallow the impervious moon
the leaves tumble
like toppling centuries

there is an old man

with a cigareette
between his lips

there is a buxom girl

shooting pool
hallowed by an electric light
dangling
a waitress comes
with bills held
between her fingers

the table is set

the clinking glasses
and utensils
a candle is burning down
and languid currents
of wax are dripping
along the candle's spine

the stragling hermit star

the dancing breath
fumbling tumbling
the tortoise shell ice
like a babe placenta crowned
the orphan streets
proclaim declaim
the plunge of darkness
the building aroused
throbs up beside the water
the windows
slow electric burn
spew light into the water
it floats threads weaves
it breaks the abstinance
of the night

the ride home on the bus

our cheeks clawed by fluoresence
the squirming writhing bodies
flesh to flesh cheek to glass
closer than sin

the desire come up

then pushed down again
the doors open

the cars thrust by

past Landsdowne
past Morrow Park
and the houses thin-

Adam Tod Leverton (atleverton@yahoo.ca)