Night Flashes By

Night flashes by, in twirls and swirls that swooped with the late evening wind
As if the pleasures and pains have finally settled as though I had skinned
More sapped I became as my footsteps stomped onto the concrete
Not knowing where it should land in order to avoid collapsing defeat
Automobiles sped by, honks and vrooms that echoed down the avenue
"Gee, what else is new?"
Sudden memories invaded, the tunes of synthesizers and euphoric jazz-like rhythms
Reworking the calm clouds in my head like a retro grid algorithm
They stood by my side, through the good and ill of the night
Wondrous and fearful simultaneously, which is quite all right
As it adds excitement and anxiety into the mix
A fix like no other without the use of a needle's trick
And it is ever so present amongst the tracks
That roar day and night, transporting folks across the cracks
Invented by men from before and today
Cranking up steam before the heats of May

I sat alone, head against the metallic covering within the car
With my only focus on my memories and not of those from afar
But tonight I felt like shutting off my eyes, and let the ride roll
For some reason I knew no one would bother my soul
The car was filled with napping family-less gents
Lost in their own world as they remained motionless and bent
They numbered before reaching two digits, but their presence was omnipresent
Their peculiar smells and outbreaks of uttered rants are rarely pleasant
Yet I did not change, eyes still closed
"Trash bitch, didn't want anymore hoes!"
This didn't agitate me, nor did it fret my strange peace
My head no longer resembled a scrambled curly feast
Maybe it was my breathing, or strength to ignore what was around me
Fully cognizant I was even though I did not want to see
This is all too familiar, the late-night routine aboard the train
And when I opened my eyes, it started to rain