Daylight
debris and dust
blown in the wind
amidst deadly silence
no human motion
in deserted streets
a crow screeches

litters unattended
dustbins unemptied
smells of petrified food
flies buzz in nascent heat

noon
a grey sky
slow-drifting clouds
birds chirp
on building tops
stray dogs bark
from unknown alleys
a ***** picks up
cigarette butts

evening
chime of church bells
closed sacred doors
no vespers
a priest seen
in prayer
through glass windows

dusk
a light drizzle
a soprano's voice
rendering Mahler
piano-accompanied
from nearby quarter

broken by
sudden roar
of an ambulance