City Lights in Elul (a poem)

Lights

Walking to the subway through the dark night
Blinded by the halogens of an oncoming car
Lights outlining the roof of the new bank on the corner

Up the stairs and onto the elevated subway train we go
Gazing out over our borough
At the streets below
Lights on the stores—red, green
Lights shining out through the light-industry factory windows
Cool blue, dirty yellow, bright white
Golden orange lights in the open-air parking garage
Floodlights shining on a billboard

Down into the tunnel we go, to subnavigate the East River
A blue light at the tunnel's entrance
Traffic signals for the motorperson at the “driver’s wheel”
Green, yellow, red

Lights

As if to remind me
that it’s that time of year
when we speak of light
to think of the Light
Hashem ori v’yish’i—G-d is my light and my salvation

May Your light light our paths
and bring us closer
To You
And to one another