the change clinks cautiously
as the meter counts the coins
to a dollar fifty,

and the sweat beats from the brow
as the inside of a bus breathes
life into this godforsaken night.

it's been a hard day at work
the room ever-lit with fluorescent light
causing me to forget how
black the night really is
once i escape-

leaving behind a trail of
trial and error at that cash register,
as i punch the keys endlessly
praying that something
will change
(the screen never does)

at the end of the night
as i return to the foreboding darkness
i realize that i have.

07/21/2005

Posted on 07/21/2005
Copyright © 2025 Andrew S Adams