I want to tell you there is whole new world
beyond the concrete labyrinth that walls
in what you know; the snaking paths that curl
you so tightly in their grip as night falls,
keeping you safe and secure in your home,
where you can isolate your life from strange
sights, from mystic visions, and never roam
more than a few steps out of your warm cage.
Yes, there is life past the Holland tunnel
(no, the world doesn’t stop with the city),
but you must brave a few steps in the dark
and force your grand notions through this funnel,
learn to appreciate the rubes you pity,
and trade in your bright lights for lonely sparks.
20 FEB 2003
