white lights of I don’t have nobody illuminated across the city
offices all but empty except for the real workers who clean up
or call center reps who work until 2 or 3 am
listening to the lonely and the desperate
it’s quiet in the building, only a few souls around
the busy buzzing of the drone bees who work
in the morning and afternoon having died down
less bosses around which is a good thing
the main workers having gone already
gone home to families, supper time, helping with homework
others to happy hours, 2 for 1 margaritas
in wannabe cantinas with servers named Rosa
who hate their job but have two kids at home and no other income
after work is done at the center, empty streets await
maybe a drive-thru or two still open
Rosa on job number three will take your order
the traffic lights seem brighter
red lights just a suggestion at this hour
an occasional walker going somewhere
homeless, hopeless, hapless, something less
some soul walking unsure down streets of dark
I see a dog walking and I’m more inclined to give it a ride
probably lost… maybe hungry, scared, unsure
looking for the familiar that rings a bell
a group of bushes, a tree, ah, a familiar house
in my neighborhood, few lights on
cars and trucks all settled in for the night
