the pallid grey glow
makes everyone look sickly
rickety
empty and unnatural
i feel peevish
when it shines on me
and turns my mood irascible
un-affable
as i walk down the streets
whether here
or whether there
i can see its ugly pallor
be a glow too many share
its glare from within
what a sin
to shine upon so many
to light
but then oppress
an artificial beacon
beaming down on all inside
i’d rather hide
within the darkness
most sincere
naught but real
than to feel the ugly glow
fluorescent light
upon my brain
upon my skin
sadness surely made this light
illuminating
grim
luminous
efficient
yet poison for the soul
for the whole
for one’s peace of mind
i long to see fluorescent lights
forever dim
and let the world
glow warm again
Dog-eared Stories by anne celano frohna 