a private moon

we all have dark hearts
illuminated by the greatness of others
and the love, unrequited and lonely

envy glows, lights our eyes
as we are all alone together
on snowy rooftop decks

overlooking the sea of lamp-made lights
wishing for something within us
fueled by a good energy

like a personal orb of light
a private moon kept safe
away from the greedy eyes of neighbors

though they themselves
have moons all their own
theirs might glow blue or yellow

your dark heart is curious
it wants to see the spectrum of light
in all forms of color illuminated

from all the private moons
on rooftop decks around the city
but we can't tell their light apart

from the artificial light of bulbs
switched on and off
powered by burning bricks of earth

picked apart, little piece by little piece
until only moon parts are left
and our private moon dissolves

into the laps of our neighbors
and foreign enemies
until all of our private moons are one

and we must look up to the sky together

Visual Art by Leonid Tishkov at http://www.barbarian-art.com/author_coll.php?author_id=80&group_id=117