Prague (after a watercolor by Dusan Djukaric)

Old buildings in a Kafka city,
their antique stones going down
all the way to river hues of gloom...

These old buildings where someone
is staring through a window's ennui...

Evening eyes are weary after dust-mote commerce,
after documents shuffled until words are worn off
and thin round spectacles would rather be dreaming...

Out on the bridge, shapes of people
are moving into dim plots of living.
Someone is in love or maybe falling.
But the statuesque angel is darkening
and will not be provident above desire...

Ah...but how delightful to be in shadows,
at window's quiet, the anonymous framing.

Ah...tonight, when night falls like toppled angels,
guitar strings will be strummed in diminished 7ths.
Lamplight in a garret will be enough for humming
a song of wretched longing, of allegories and time.

Evening here falls with magic and torment.
A paradox of whispers in the mouth of the sky.

Prague of lovers and soaking of colors.
Prague of decay and indifferent angels.
Prague of cigarette glowing at casement.

PRAGUE

A watercolor by Dusan Djukaric. Copyright © Dusan Djukaric.

Reproduced here with the artist's kind permission.

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