TIME-STONE br br Hallo, Metropolitan— br Ubiquitous windows staring all ways, br Red eye notching the darkness. br No use to ogle that slip of a moon. br This midnight the moon, br Playing virgin after all her encounters, br Will break another date with you. br You fuss an awful lot, br You flight of ledger books, br Overrun with multiple ant-black figures br Dancing on spindle legs br An interminable can-can. br But I'd rather… like the cats in the alley… count time br By the silver whistle of a moonbeam br Falling between my stoop-shouldered walls, br Than all your tally of the sunsets, br Metropolitan, ticking among stars.