DstngustPoet

Twilight In The City

It is the twilight of the morning in the city of Charleston where the old street lamps of the historic district of South Battery still burns.
The soft glow illuminates now on cobblestone streets that are littered by dried out fall and winter leaves with morning dew.
And the air is filled with the smell of exhaust as cars begin to litter I-26 and I-526 as people begin to make their commute to work and begin yet another day of doing 8 to 12. A little more or less give or take a few.

It is twilight in the city as God’s “son” begins to light up the dark midnight sky that was illuminated by his “daughter” the moon.
It begins to glow like that of five and dime neon signs, reading such and such and ninety-nine for cheap coffee, liquor, or wine.
But the twilight will end again and the cycle will come to an end as the light turns to darkness and those same signs will illuminate coffee, chips, and a light…anything to help get one through the night… in the city.

Lights glowing like smoldering cigarettes in the lips of illuminated faces of those who have Jack-o-lantern like gazes from the night before and every other night before that.
Homelessness continues to hang out like bats.
Cats chasing dirty rats for their fix of that early morning hit of heroin and crack….but they fall into traps!
Traps set by other dirty alley cats with a need to feed on all that eats, sleeps, breaths and of course bleeds… for the city.
Sadly, this is the reality of so many as others are walking on King and Queen to beg for the next copper penny and I look at them as I have none to give for their next bottle of Henny. And so continues the twilight of the morning in the city.

The night begins to fade as it greets the day with a kiss.
It is in the form of light and the colors of gray, orange, white, violet and amber.
They speak to the horizon with a quiet candor that conjures not so much as to a painting on canvas, but as a sweet taste to the mouths palette.
God’s Sun has now become the Aurora Borealis of the city in which I live.
It takes on the form of a song composed by the ending of dawn.
I turn on the TV to see the morning news and I hear the percussive beat of an angry lover’s fists and feet thudding and smacking another lover’s limbs, lips and cheeks.
I can imagine in my mind the woman’s soprano like cries in harmony with that of Bosch’s plant whistle.
And just outside my front door traffic horns are blowing, CARTA’s doors are opening and slamming, and automobile tires are screeching like violins or cello strings bellowing with sadness…all within the twilight of the morning in the city.

These concerto of sounds compose the song of Charleston’s city streets.
It is the lullaby of those who come in late at 6am to get some much needed sleep.
It is the early morning serenade of those who seek remedy…
Remedy from a vigorous night filled with lots of stress and strife of those who drank and tried to drown their sorrows away.
But they can’t escape from the pain because it is now another day!
Yes these are the sounds and melodies that I hear and see that have vicariously become me and I have become a product of the sights and sounds of living in this city!!
Everyday, I awake and am forced like many others to embrace and taste it in the stale cold air.
A city that is rich in history, culture, and beauty is so heavily spoiled by unnecessary mess…
But I’m glad that despite all that, I have become spoiled by my success and continued progress!!!
YES!!!!
YES….this is the song of my city that is sung in the twilight of the city!!!

And so I wait and sit patiently….to hear…to see…
And there she comes…my lady.
Her voice is the breakfast of my mind and my muse.
She feeds my dreams of progression like a mother bird does her chick.
She is strengthening the wings of my imagination and nuzzling in the nest of my fascinations.
Her saxophone solos of the preverbal cuss words, catcalls, and quiet cries leaves my eyes open wide to see.
My eyes are always open as to how no matter things may be, God has everything planned out perfectly.
And so this brings me to the end of the poem entitled…

Twilight In The City!