sleep hangs in the air over my head

until it bolts and breaks the steep drop
from the window down to the city below

where light swarms around the sprawl
brilliant enough to cut through the thick cover of night that settles over it at this time

argus eyes Newark as it refuses rest
turns up its nose at the inclination
struggles under the spread and smother of last phase
pearls its flare as a periapt

and loudens its whirs and sighs
from public transit and its smoking tires
as halogen headlights bleed well through highway treelines

so I'll stave off another tryst with sleep
whatever romance tossed to Jersey's smog-laden wind