a lizard scurries up a white wall
as lightening flashed
miles away

the oldness of this city
means so little

as we approach the fort,
the furthest point
the great Spanish empire
ever reached,
I am stricken by the hollowness
of it all

the stone seems plastic
the palms an illusion

the bridge stretches across
the water, lights strewn
across its concrete length,
and the lightening still
flashes when the mood
strikes it

the water seems black,
shady, dull, brooding

it holds some deep secret
(but, for once, it is not my
reflection)

this night hurts

I wonder where I should go
with these feelings as I trudge
silently through the night