Long hours staring
at the thin crevices of light.
So much more dark to study,
but it is the crusty light
of the city, drawing outlines
of rocking leaves,
gray shadowed screens,
and odd-shaped gaps in the blinds
that mesmerizes
(perhaps something blinks) —
a fright for children
to wake up to —
the lens of every dream,
every imagining,
every truthful longing.