City Singing

City Singing

Darkness parts to my alarm clock bleating
One tone rising, then two and three
The ditty persisting insistence
I slap it silent and rise from hibernation

Kitchen clock tick-ticking off the wall
time running rampant, barely enough to
jump from shower, drip-dripping,
quick nibbling, blush, glossed lips

Waking to my key click-click-clicking
past tumblers locking inside from hall
feet thump-thump-thump sleepy carpet
foyer door swinging out to louder sounds

Gritty city sidewalks beneath my feet,
I settle into step-stepping my
well-worn ways, silence behind
my eyes. Ever moving, yet at rest

An orange hand blinks on-off-on-off-on
Halting me at a precipice of asphalt
Metal monsters whoosh-whoosh-whoosh
past, their vacuum tugging at my breath

Lights cycle, I'm a wave ebbing-flowing,
washing across crosswalk, feet tap-tapping
to the beat of a tune: the man alongside
quietly humming Mozart or Beethoven

Veer to oncoming train, tracks clack-clacking
doors sliding-dinging-sliding
Skateboarder's head bobbing
wires leaking strands of Pandora

Jump out and halt, seeing a surreal moment:
A strange lady passing, chanting a native war cry.
A breeze playing a crescendo of tumbling leaves
A homeless man murmuring a nursery rhyme

Ukulele chords riff from a passing cafe
And I'm convinced the city is singing to me!
Am I still asleep or finally shaken awake
to a magic behind every moment in time

Is the city trilling to so many feet beating,
bridge wires tuning to car tires turning?
I'm amazed to find unfocused eyes, an
oblivious crowd, as blind to the sound as

The woman's whose white cane tap-tap-taps
concrete behind me. And I imagine she
wields a baton to a secret symphony
of thousands only her ears can fathom

Finally I'm smiling, heart tock-ticking,
Happily picking a song to make mine,
dancing, singing, Oh, Miki, you're so fine,
you're so fine you blow my mind, hey, Miki

(48 lines)