One day I walked down a street
And everyone walking past
Gave me the same stare
As if they all bought them
From the same shop

And so I stared back, after a while
After all, the walls were not a pleasant sight
But their eyes were colder, harsher
Eyes with all the hope extracted
Killed by an unseen assailant
A quiet assassin, paid by someone

The only thing left to look at
Was the road ahead
The pavement under my feet

And I watched it…
And for so long, the horizon
Drew no closer
I could not feel movement
Only the years passing
The life draining away

Today I reached the end of the street
And I noticed a sign by the road mouth
So I asked some of the people
“Since when was this a one way street?”
They walked on by without a word

12/18/2000

Posted on 12/24/2001
Copyright © 2025 Richard Vince