On the Corner of 17th and 18th

On The Corner of 17th and 18th
By: Aiden Ray

Come into the light.
Go into the night.

Beneath the glow,
Begins the show.

Buzzing creatures fly,
And so begins my final try.

An honest question –
A dismissive suggestion.

Abruptly, I consult her eyes.
They tell the truth as her mouth lies.

Two years I yearned,
Watched, learned.

She knew. She must’ve known.
Surely she knew given the cards she’s shown.

A final lesson learned within incandescence:
How to waste adolescence.

My chest in stasis.
I’m out of aces.

Awkward pause-
Retributive hatred without cause.

Left alone in the aftermath,
To play solitaire within the path

The wretched lamppost continues its hum.
My heart rests and I am numb.

Isolated and exposed,
Flying things descend upon the decomposed.

Silent amber street –
Now quiet without heartbeat.

Truth came to light,
And love went into the night.