A late afternoon view from Pudong across the river to Shanghai.
Standing on a street corner
Almost anywhere
Nighttime is drifting in
Like a dusty curtain closing
In a dark and dirty
Sometimes, lonely place
A shopping cart hurries by
With cardboard pushing it nowhere
It’s a faceless existence
Still baking on a hot sidewalk
Next to a glazed commuter
Lost in the digital world
This time of day, exudes a feeling
Wrapped in lonesome sounds
Like cab horn in the distance
Calling to the steam rising from the curb
From a street side venue
The delivery truck chugs along
Making its last rounds of the day
Mixed within those noises
As a part of daily existence
It seems like a foreign land
From the quiet introspection
Of the countryside, just down the way
From the shadowy smokestacks
Comes a pulsing self-awareness
Deep within the primordial ooze
That made us who we are
I climb out, dripping wet
Feeling and wanting more
How did I get here?
What should I do?
Above the noise and fray
A subtle voice is calling.
There’s an angel in my pocket
Speaking in the tongues of living
Get right with the world, she says
Do something
Make it a better place
Stepping through the subway door
Within a crowding presence entered
I head home once again
Embracing the nightly news
Awaking from my dream.
OSI#126: Angel
22 comments:
This is stunning. I was spellbound throughout the read. Gorgeous piece, lush!
Your portrayal of this hustle-bustle world comes through well. Hard for an angel to make herself heard over the din, I would imagine. :)
"There's an angel in my pocket
Speaking in the tongues of living"
I love that.
I am sure Rob, Angel would speak again and again.. may be leaving the pocket it will make your heart its abode.. well loved your take on the prompt.. don't forget to meet fellow angels tomorrow.. on my page..
I like this, Rob. When the writer was almost alone I thought, surely this can't be Shanghai! But you quickly answered this riddle. Those subways all over China are bursting at the seams, even late at night.
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You'll probably be my last comment tonight. It's bedtime. I should read some others; more so I too could dream of angels!
..
"she says
Do something
Make it a better place"
Rob, I too rear this words often!
Hi Rob;
Isn't it wonderful? We all have angels that will ping us and say, "Hey Rob, wake up, you need to be alert in keeping with your mission here on earth?"...
It's such a lovely poem, a realization that through the hustle and bustle of life, let us breath a sigh of relief...our own angels are there to guide us home!
make it a better place.. oh yes, indeed..!
how wonderfully said.. reminded me a lot of MJ's Heal the World lines.. what a beautiful take on the topic..!
There's always a place for that message, wherever you are.
You had me thinking of the angels in the Bible, how they arrive to tell whomever they address to go and do and live here and now--confident.
The dog needed me just then and I lost my train of thought....Back again.
Your voice of a contemporary angel speaks to me. I will pay attention.
I was totally taken in by the angel. Great post!
angular angels
Also don't forget to get aboard the Poetry Train on Monday mornings!
That was very powerful- you painted quite a picture there! Excellent poem.
I was inmersed in this...!
Wonderful piece!
-Weasel
Shrinking life to its real, its important size. Great picture. Please have a nice start into the new week.
daily athens
Beautiful, to be still and sense
the changing of day into night
and leaving yourself open to hear
the angel with a message.
Superb! The language is lovely and lilting and the message is strong and senseful.
a poem is full of grace and relaxations,
beautifully delivered work.
Cheers!
Wonderful flow of scenery coming through my mind and it is so wonderful :D Thank for sharing this excellent poem^^~
What an awesome juxtaposition, Rob ...
A shopping cart hurries by
With cardboard pushing it nowhere
Next to a glazed commuter
Lost in the digital world
awesome!
JP/deb
great sunset pic :-)
hurried-ness of life personified in your poem. lots of angels to meet :-)
"Do something
Make it a better place" Great! But wondering what to do...Beautiful scenery, For a while I never realize it is Shanghai, a city I really don't like but always need to go for working reason...Just a short note, I like your poem, especially this one.
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