Nicholas Grider; from BECAUSE THE NIGHT

Because the night belongs to
institutions, solace, news coverage.

Blank pages. Bright lights.




A little night music because
the music is too quiet, because

blank pages

because naming rights




Keeping manual labor private

he says, “boy,” he says

a few more weeks of twilight




Eyes open, blank night
pages, because the night, sponsored

seven years of indecision

all over again, getting
elected to a windowless room




Amnesty instead
of adulthood, because

“life experience”

or where he says “the night”
begins to turn