The sea of people
clad in coats and scarves
and the occasional mini skirt
that pushes, shoves,
and crowds the sidewalk
making it impossible to get anywhere
as quickly as you would like to
Stream of yellow taxi cabs,
weaving through the cars
a cacophony of horns
Billboards,
advertising what you would never buy
if you really stopped to think,
headache-inducing lights, colors, noise
and gaudy holiday decoration
The occasional corner saxophonist
or a Peruvian gentleman,
clutching his panpipes
scattered amidst the street vendors
and the million and one Starbucks
Even in the dark
there is artificial brightness
and a twist of smoke
as yet another cigarette falls
to the ground
to be twisted
into the pavement
by a stiletto heeled boot
