Underbelly

Underbelly

A slice of moon
veiled so slightly
by a smoky cloud
Air so thick
it could be chewed
Voices carried loud
 
The night sultry
Perspiration beading
on heat weary brows
A distant dog barking
disturbing an old man’s
intermittent drowse
 
Car horns honk
Music of the night
Broken glass gleamed
Garbage plunked
unceremoniously
and someone screamed
 
Back alley sex
Writhing in
gratuitous ecstasy
Money exchanged
No more than
a sick fantasy
 
Alone in the darkness
oblivious to it all
A junkie finds a vein
Sirens cutting silence
Purposeful, speeding 
Anther body slain
 
The distorted face
of a city breathing fire
Scorching, charring 
Fanning the flames
Of society’s underbelly
The flip side jarring
 
 
Christine Bolton - Poetry for Healing ©

Word Prompts

Chew - SoCS

Sick - RDP

Writhe - FOWC

MLMM - Saturday Mix - Onomatopoeia
Honk/Plunk/ Flip

  7 comments for “Underbelly

  1. July 9, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    Perhaps one could escape to Tar Beach.
    I often did that when I lived in the city.
    Hard to block out all the ‘traffic’ noises.

    • Christine Bolton
      July 9, 2019 at 8:10 pm

      Yep! Up on the roof 🙂

  2. July 6, 2019 at 1:10 pm

    The city in all its inglorious self.

    • Christine Bolton
      July 6, 2019 at 1:17 pm

      Yes, underneath the glitz and glamour 😔

      • July 6, 2019 at 1:23 pm

        The underbelly of glamour

  3. July 6, 2019 at 12:51 pm

    Hot town, summer in the city.

    • Christine Bolton
      July 6, 2019 at 1:16 pm

      Yes, exactly!

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