25 O'clock

It was 25 O’clock.
I remember the staccatos of lamppost restoration.
Men in orange
Engraved with the horizon's scars.
Eyes less alive than the cityscape.

//

It was 25 O’clock.
When the last bus migrated
Down the edge of 2nd street;
Neon yellow, unplugged,
Out of service.

//

It was 25 O’clock.
The accountant next door
flicked the last switch.
Last light burned out
Blending black into black

//

It was 25 O’clock.
The nightingales
Made the best of the darkness.
They chanted a symphony
I thought was my alarm clock

//

It was 25 O’clock.
And that backyard garden stopped
Growing. In hope,
It rations lunar rock
To survive the night.

Richard Su is a Chinese-Canadian poet. His work has been featured in Ice Lolly Review, WORK-IN-PROGRESS, and Crab Apple Literary.