The City Breathes

Sarah Freeman L-SAW 2009

Beyond our gate and the windy sky,

Past the river that rises and falls with each spring rain,

Across cracked driveways and endless expressways,

The city throws pebbles at my bedroom window,

Whispers promises in my ear.

Heading south, towards the calling,

I follow the cars that multiply faster than the lanes can add,

Until hedge walls turn into graffiti-covered barriers.

An orange moon shows the path

Where streetlamps end,

Reflecting off the lake to illuminate the skyline,

I roll down the windows when the side streets look least familiar,

Letting the crisp breeze burn my cheeks.

The lights push the darkness out of a starless sky,

Horn beeps bounce off the ever-growing buildings,

Until I am surrounded by a city with more life on each corner

Than I can hold in my whole body.

But the clock blinks as a reminder of the reality that waits,

I turn around.

Pulled back,

My foot steadfast on the gas,

Down the now quiet streets.

Owning the highway that takes me

Away from and back to home.