ships of the night

as i walk home i don’t listen to music. i am cold in my thin suede jacket but i am happy because the night is so wonderful. its breathing on me, it’s licking my nose raw. i walk underneath the trees, bare of any leaves. they leave elaborate shadows against my skin and the glimmering asphalt and i’m aware of their dimensionality in a way that i could never be in the daytime. i’m happy because i have the night to myself. she’s cold and lonely but she’s serene and so she lets me walk through her because she knows i understand. the grey clouds are still visible, against the velvet sky. they are ships of the night, towering over me, and they’re glorious, and i feel happy.