Down on the corner where lives a lust and greed,
Where truth is exposed and the captive super-ego freed:
The young girl with a lonely mind obediently bows her head,
And the old man puts on his mask and shamefully is fed.
The well versed veteran overlooks this scene of incestuous desire
As a retired policeman gazes at the flames of a deathly fire.
Oh the secrets that are kept in the lascivious shadows of this town,
Would send shame to the masses who knell before Oedipus’ crown.
And as the fire continues to ignite all life in its space
It slowly loses its distinction as a luring sinful place.
The ubiquity of the gazes, street signs, sounds and sights
Sends a sudden hesitance to the instinctual fight or flight.
Down on the corner where lives a passion and grace,
Where the lover’s song materializes into the city’s majestic face.
The young boy with confidence feels large among the city heights.
The observant old woman smiles from memories of childhood nights.
The well versed veteran overlooks this scene of cyclic life
As a soldier looks into a victims eyes and sees those of his wife.
Oh the wonder that is kept in the shadows of this town
Turns cynics into lovers, a smile from a frown.
As the once tumultuous flames begin to slowly subside
The old man removes his mask and to him the girl confides.
The young boy sits on his bed alone and starts to cry,
The old woman frowns, for the life she lived has died.
A young poet gazes through a transparent coffee shop,
Pondering if a woman is a whore, a nun, or a crooked cop.
For days he sits and thoughtfully observes the workings of this town
Convinced this place of obscurity is simply living upside down.
Oh the secrets that are kept in the shadows of your mind.
They’re a young boy who leaves a game of hide and seek you never find.
You look in every corner of the world that exists to you
But fail to transcend to the places you never thought were true.
So the poet leaves behind this town he’s deemed to be a waste-
Failing to find, the proper line, he stubbornly departs with haste.
A message he was looking for, a sign from the lord above,
Why people do what they do, why we hate, why we love.
But finding reason in a world like ours is a fateful quest.
And the consciousness that is aware is one that is laid to rest.
So disappointment is all that’s in store for those who seek a line
To be the wisdom of the world, the missing link to define.
This town will never cease to be all that it’s meant to be-
Dichotomy’s simultaneously living without the chance to see:
A boy with pride goes home with pain that once more will mend,
An old man ceases to be determined as enemy or friend,
An old woman lives in a balance of emptiness and joy,
A young girl finds the appropriate level to exert her toy,
A policeman and a soldier will gaze on with feelings we don’t know,
And a poet, though confused, enjoys the thoughts he’s gained from the show.
Oh the beauty that is kept in the shadows of this town.
