I live in the city. I go to the market.
I walk up the stone steps by the spreading roses.
I hear the sunshine in my brain.
In the morning an espresso with twist of pastry.
In the evening a red wine with a thin-crust pizza.
Every day up and down the stairs overlooking the city.
Every day stop and sip from the bubbling fountain
within the lion’s open mouth.

Who will stop the evil? Who can keep it from winning?
The monster crouches low and slowly churns its great stone mane upwards.
Eyes flash boredom and contempt; coming to hurt us, for no real reason.
It doesn’t care about anything; it just needs to crash and crush, dominate.
We have no hope against it. We scatter like leaves and snap like twigs.
Dry sounds of crunching and snapping. A vigorous laugh pierces the air.
My how soft and light-blue the sunshiny sky feels down here!

AMW/BW