The sky darkens around the edges
And the orange glow of the sunset
Blinds the horizon
Clouds cast in red and gray
Obscure the sky
And hide the stars
From lighting the way

The antagonist of my day
The dark night tempts
And mocks
Calling out
Begging for life
And making promises
That it never keeps

Glowing street lights
On empty streets
The distant flashing lights
And cars pass by
Never stopping
No one will take notice
And the lonely night
Will be the same
Like rewinding the tape
This part is played over
And over again

Fixated on what is not
Unable to find the change

The night passes by
And the cars never stop

As through a window
Looking into life
The observer ignores the glass
For what it is
The glares
Are not for want
Nor for pity
For a window when closed
Is only to keep out the bad
While the beauty of the world beyond it
Remains clearly visible

Yet the glass is easily broken
Or dirtied by the sands of time
Only then will the glass be noticed
Broken
Dirty
Failing to provide
A perfect view of the world
While sheltering those behind it
From all that is bad

And in the night
The dark and cold night
The shades are drawn
People turn away
For the glass can expose them

While the night passes by
And the cars never stop

Originally written June, 2008