in the rain

two a.m.
is not a time
to be walking
around town
in the rain,
in these worn
shoes, and
battered hat.
there are alot
of dark and
dangerous
shadows moving
about. my overcoat
is soaked down
to my skin.
my watch has
stopped at
midnight, and
the trains
aren't running.
i can walk
a ways. find
a diner open
all night. i
can make small
talk with the
waitress in her
pink dress, as
skinny and lonely
as the lamp post
that lights my
way. i can
read yesterday's
newspaper,
i can befriend
that dog in the
alley shivering
with his head
in a can,
gnawing on bone
that will choke
him dead before
dawn. or i can
just keep
walking, walking.
in the rain.