Elegy of the Forgotten Streets #12

Elegy of the Forgotten Streets In the shadowed alleys where dreams once danced, Whisper not of slumbers lost, nor of forgotten chants. Those halcyon days, now shrouded in mist, Where hope flickered briefly, in a world amiss. Our city, a mausoleum of memories and dust, Enclosed by barriers, in despair we trust. The streets, a mosaic of desolation and dread, Home to the weary, where no dreams are bred. Here, in these forsaken paths, truth holds its ground, No one believes funerals outweigh the sound Of a heart's last beat, of a spirit's final breath. No one is blinded by facade, in the dance with death. The forsaken youth find solace in the night, Under neon skies, their only respite. The thoroughfares, veiled in a haze of despair, A testament to tomorrows that are no longer there. In this realm where sea and earth in sorrow blend, The streets resonate with the cries that ascend. A symphony of chaos, where all is undone, Where joy dissolves, and hope is overrun. In this labyrinth of loss, where the land betrays, The sea cloaks the heavens in a mournful haze. The earth, now a canvas of sand and sorrow, The ocean, a harbinger of no tomorrow. Tsunami of anguish, flooding our realm, In streets devoid of song, a desolate helm. Echoes of screams, a requiem of plight, In this world bereft of dance, devoid of light. Here, the specter of death holds greater sway, Than the fleeting breath of the living's fray. Yet in these streets, no soul is so deranged, To value mere appearances over the change That truth and reality bring to the fore, In this forgotten street, wisdom endures more. Reflecting on the plight of this forsaken age, Like children in marketplaces, ignored by the sage: "We played the flute for you, yet you did not sway; We sang a dirge, yet you turned away." (Mt 11:16-17) -Written by Steven G. Lee (December 9, 2023)