Now the City Is Dark

by Joe Coy

it’s better now

now that things have settled and fears have quieted

it’s quieter too without the sounds of shots and shouts and sirens

it was bad at first when the lights went out

when nothing worked

when people were scared and selfish but

like we always do we outgrew our fears

of the dark and of one another

we opened homes to peers instead of

peering through bolted doors at perceived threats

parking lots became parks and places to gather and

gardens growing grain and veggies and apples in the big apple

mistrust gave way to reliance and community thrived

turns out what kept us separate

despite close quarters

was a false sense of lack pushed by those with the most

and once the bulbs failed the illusion of individualism fell away and

we could finally see that it really does take a village

now we muster in once-bustling streets or

relax on the roofs of buildings we care for together and

collectively gaze at a no longer invisible sky

we wonder at the stars we kept hidden from ourselves and

exhale a breath we hadn’t known we were holding

we look on a world we hadn’t imagined existing and say

it’s better now

better than we could have ever thought possible

now the city that never slept is finally dark enough to dream

BIO: Joe Coy (he/him) has always been fascinated by how a few words and a few lines can say so much. Joe found poetry to be an invaluable tool when dealing with symptoms of combat-related PTSD to say what he couldn't otherwise express. Now he uses poetry to give a voice to the voiceless and explore themes of nature, spirituality, social and political issues, and love and connection. His poems have been selected for publication in Altar Literary Magazine, Eternal Haunted Summer, and Call Me [Brackets].