This city

I challenged myself to write a poem which illustrates a juxtaposition. It's slept easily and lay dormant for far too long in this PC, so here it is:

This city

He walks tall but stands unnoticed;
sadness pulses in his veins,
then the rain falls from the heavens, and he’s
homeward bound again

Lights shine bright and unforgiving,
illumined glitz absorbed by night
casts deep shadows on the busy;
our city sleeps tonight

His attractive face once jaunty
is now painted slick with pain,
he sits sheltered in a doorway, and he’s
homeward bound again

Metal bones and sleek glass towers
house cosmopolitan delights,
within the heart of human hubbub;
our city dreams tonight

He rests at feet of strangers; and waits
to see the day that it’s not concrete
for his pillow, and he’s
homeward bound again

For now the two are allied;
like our moon is linked to sun,
yet it's not fated like the stars are;
you can help to break that bond

So if ‘homeward bound,’ to you, means one thing,
and you want to close your eyes,
they'll still be there in the morning...
sleep well; sweet dreams, good night.

(c) Jane Edwards 2010