I had to move again recently, and was sorting through a bunch of boxes when I came across a napkin from a deli in New York. I had scrawled something on it during a visit there quite some time ago (I was still in high school). I thought I would copy it here before it drifted back into oblivion. I absolutely hated NYC.
Feet planted on the street corner
a concrete worf, jutting into a sea of humanity
The currents shift. Ebb and flow
Skin taut against chill and prying eyes
A friendly smile, a smokey glance
Set actions, to get appropriate reactions
The traffic throbs
a hand runs down jutting ribs
So tired, the weight of life brings slumped shoulders
Time washes away even hardened resolve
The world crumbles away
Shadows reaching out to snatch up warmth, hope, light
Sulfur lights flicker into existence
You stand at the corner, on an island of faded yellow
another drag, embers illuminating black pools
wisps of chemical vapor fill your lungs
A tear meanders down, revealing the scars below
As you step off the edge
