City

i.
sure, it’s gorgeous here;
i have plenty of nature’s glory
in these winding mountain roads,
but they make me citysick
& i need proof of human decay.

ii.
let’s go somewhere
where there are a million lonely people
broken smiles and cigarette fingers
we’re sane because everyone’s alone.

iii.
why is it that emptiness is heavy,
but skyscrapers make me light?
open meadows are exquisite
but they don't fill me the way
symphonies of taxi horns
& masterpieces on subway walls do.

v.
i’m sorry to betray the stars
by choosing neon lights over constellations,
but there are some things
that are seen much clearer
from a hotel fire escape.