Fluorescent Stranger

By Daniel Williams

Fixed, in plain sight,

emitting a glimmer of life,

my nocturnal stranger,

a masterpiece of the night.

Light the way for me,

show me the glow of your warmth,

lead me out of the dark.

The unobscured beauty of your electric heart

pierces my withering soul.

I try walking in the rain deliberately,

to catch a glimpse of your dim stare,

to remind myself you’re there.

My personal guard, always there,

even when my heart waved goodbye.

I never thought you’d mean so much,

never thought you could.

You uniformed soldier,

in a battalion of radiance

guarding our street,

a paladin of the night.

From a distance you flicker,

if only to show you’re still there,

your burning amber blaze just like the next one,

lights the saturated concrete beneath our feet.