Walk In The Night

In this mysterious, spangled dusk,
Why am I walking alone?
Oh, lady with the bird's wing on your hat!
Please, won't you wait?
Then, will you? Man with the tobacco crop in your mouth!
Or you, child on the throbbing motorcycle?
Oh, please, won't you stop for a little while?
Won't somebody, anybody, somebody stop?
I want to talk to you. Don't be afraid. . .
Please; don't be afraid of me!
You, please. . . why are you hurrying so?
You are running... into the dark embrace of forgetfulness?
The black cage of the movies will hide you from yourself for a moment.
You are running. . . into the warm embrace of busy-ness?
The gaudy dinner will fill your soul for a moment.
Oh, do wait! Here... now. . . on this dim corner. . .
An apple will feed your family.
A crisp juicy apple will nourish a body!
An apple that never gave birth to the worm in your hearts;
The worm that grows on this hurrying, one beyond the other. . .
Grows more quickly than any worm in any apple!
They say we can cure cancer,
If we are careful, if we catch it early.
. . Catch it early?
But it is so late now!
Perhaps there is a chance?
Wait, please. . .
maybe you and I can cure this cancer together.
Perhaps it is still Just early enough
and the moon is still high enough
and our eyes not entirely shot with blood,
our lips. . . with mud.
You and I. You and I, friend.
We can root out this cancer,
this cancer of hate. . . this cancer of no love.
Let us catch it and cure it together.
You for me. And I for you.
please, please, won't you stop?
Won't you walk with me, talk with me . . .
Oh! You are afraid of me!
But I would not hurt you.
I am running, hiding, crying aloud in the dark. . .
I am like yourself!
And we are here for such a little, little while. . .

 DOROTHY GLAZER.