There's a man by the window; he peeks
The window,  like jail's iron bars
Outside the man-made lights, not the ones he seeks
But up above the night sky, no stars.

Outside, silhoutte of roofs and trees
Inside, a shumai with shrimp paste
Outside, the South China sea breeze
Inside, a soda bottle to blacken a face.

Inside, the hope flows in the see-through line
Outside, a man on a rolling bed passed by.
Inside, a wish drowning in a brine
Outside, a blowing smoke concealed a sigh.

There's a man by the window; he peeks
Behind him, the soft light of the white room
Outside, they saw something on his cheeks,
And the room burns, afire with gloom.

Jan.2,2025
RSV