Manhattan, My Muse

Outside the city buzzes full of life and intoxication

Inside the heart freezes, empty with numbness and isolation

Bright, shining, streetlights dazzle and entice millions to stimulation

Vacantly dull orbs swell and pour forth painful realizations

On her shores there is promise to fulfill every whimsical desire

But only through enduring loneliness and denial

In order to conquer the city that never sleeps

One must be unyielding, callused, and never weak

Seize opportunities that appear at every subway stop and street corner

Shed the doubt that dwells deep within every bone cavity and muscle fiber

Dance with the frantic flurry of strangers fighting forth to their final destinations

Brush off the chips imparting weight and trepidation

This wonderland beats and weathers the meek like a skillful master

Rewarding unwavering persistence, commitment, and strength of character

Hear her tempest sirens singing to the dwellers of this concrete isle

Mounting confidence and determination igniting into a blazing fire

Embody her for she is what inspires

A muse both loathed and admired.

~kfu