Shadowscape

Night oozes over the city
Like tar over corpses in the street
Drunks and prostitutes line the avenue
Prodical children join the rotting procession
Following sewage into wrought-iron grates
Where rats play hide and seek with alleycats
While the old saxophone blues man
Whispers incantations in the rain

Slip black like shadows into the wood crate alleys
Or lose yourself in the maze of neon disarray
Tisha leans into the Bronco
Charlie's more than anxious to sample her wares
But mother wants her baby home by three

The pills don't kick in for a while
But they'll knock you off your guard you start to leave
Frozen by the very fear that compells you to run

White Ice Smiles always hide the deepest loathing

In the corner of a rancid alley
Vincent slowly decomposes
Up above a young boy dangles his feet from a fire escape
Counting the streetlights
Though he knows their number
Waiting for a sign from God
Or whatever comes first...