all the good people are safely in bed
it's only us nutters awake
telling our tales and breaking our bread
while the wind whistles over the lake
one in the morning and all is still well
most of the city asleep
deep in in the heart of the one o'clock bell
comes the ring. live your life. life is cheap
two in the morning the wind starts to moan
jittering down from the sky
chilling the wanderers down to the bone
with a sparkle ice blue in its eye
three in the morning and down by the docks
there's a lover with dust on his shoes
one of these nights it'll kill him he knows
it's a game that he's playing to lose
four in the morning the last late cafe
in a haze from the smoke and the steam
coffee and cigarettes burning away
through the rags and the bones of the dream
five in the morning the sun starts to rise
and the heart of the night slips away
staggering home with no tears in his eyes
with no crown with no king for a day
Little Flower Book by Wayne Myers