City Nights

The overhead lights of a passing patrol car

They flicker past quickly, in the corner of my eye

Tonight I’m out in the city and my boots pound the pavement

Ahead, steam from subway vents wafts to the sky

Out on Market Street’s sidewalk, the dealers are peddling

Hitting me up to drop down a dime

I tread past them briskly and shoot them a sneer

Praying their comeuppance will fall down in time

The blare of the air-horn from a well-worn fire engine

Wails past me and roars, as it shakes up the night

I step over a homeless guy, and dodge a drunken street fight

A junkie shoots up, in and alcove to my right

Three dark faces clad in malice and black hooded sweatshirts

They eye me intently as I pass them right by

The trio looks me up and down, and I find the knife in my pocket

Three thugs ignore me, figuring I’m not tonight’s prize

There’s an overhead streetlight, and it makes the fog glow

Directly ahead of me, lighting my way

I march steadily towards it, counting the sidewalk tiles

Ignoring the rabble; they’ll do what they may

One could argue that tonight I’m a man with a plan

Step, stepping my way to a predetermined destination

A little grit in my soles makes them no worse for the wear

And Skid Row provides, if nothing else, a bit of sensation

There’s a dimly-lit barroom a few blocks further down

Where I will seek my refuge from this city’s ongoing crime

But I’ll only be able to hide for so long tonight, till two

And then it’s just my boots, the pavement and a gauntlet of grime