Lost in the City

I got lost in the city today

Nightfall cascades with bridge tolls

Traffic covers roads like

Parade floats and street shows

Only the 5 o'clock traffic jam

Doesn't come with live bands

Nor masquerades,

Or people pacing in place

To celebrate some common trait

It's quite basic, it's daily

It's structure, it's pavement 

It's movement from boxes to boxes

By placement cases for currency

Some call it necessary

Others say its slavery

Some live in luxury 

Others stay in poverty

But they cross paths

Every Monday thru Friday on 280

See, Lady stare at her watch

Man yell at his truck

Lady talk on her phone,

Business calls before home,

Man got laid off

Now his budget plan just collapsed

The road blurs-

So did the map on my lap

I got lost in the city today

I see sun lick skylines with war paint

And the moon rise up

Mountain tops with drum beats

Its rhythm keeping tempo 

Of car beeps and phone rings

Of lightstops and tire squeaks 

Of clockouts and rap scenes

While my feet tap in sync

With wind chimes and heart strings.

I got lost in the city today

Crossed streets and districts

Parks and picnics

Skyscrapers and schools

Hospitals and pools

Heard laughter and slander

hop scotch

Heard gunshots, clocks

Tick tock 

Just passing by on the right,

"Don't mind me 

fast paced society"

I can't quite see what's in front of me

Industry has me on my knees

Which way to go

What route to take

What box shall I accept to take

It's all the same in different ways

A survival game with unequal play.