The Night Falls Into the Sky

Over the bridge hold flecks of light,

Connected to ground and grass,

Buildings with flashing bulbs,

El

C-

O-

R-

T-

E-

Z.

Air chills,

Feet quicken,

A plane flies overhead,

Leaving whirling dust in its wake.

A dead cabbie sings in my ear,

“The embers float on the ground…”

A rotting tree,

Stretches its creaking limbs into the night,

And I look for the Cheshire Cat.

Surely he waits for me there.

At the corner I hold onto the pole,

And look up.

This man-made thing.

This God-made being.

Are the mice asleep in their stoplight?

Elders dine on French cuisine,

And a BMW drives slowly, shakily by.

Who is the man inside?

The temple is being rebuilt,

And this morning I’m asked for patience.

Like the farmer who waits for precious fruit,

I wait for healing.

And I repent,

That refreshment may come.

My balcony is warm,

Candles flicker brightly.

Lanterns shine overhead,

And the bougainvillea clings to the white embers,

And the night falls into the sky.