Long Exposure Magazine Issue 1, February 2015 | Page 10

you can almost hear a siren’s distant howl

his cigarette is fresh and will take a while to smoke -

she will stand and wait for an answer

their window is closed against the night air,

noise and car fumes – they prefer their own temperatures

and aromas, half undressed or dressed

her perfume stronger; she wears a black skirt

and bra for heat rather than warmth – the red mask

hooked on the window frame for a perspective

to see through any party masquerade

that has been or is yet to be – while

both sets of eyes are locked together

they see each other with the same expression – question

whether resolution will arrive before dawn

James Bell has published two poetry collections, the just vanished place (2008) and fishing for beginners (2010), both from tall-lighthouse. He lives in Brittany where he contributes articles and photography to an English language journal and continues to publish poems nationally and internationally with recent print appearances in Tears In The Fence, Elbow Room, The Journal, Shearsman, The Stony Thursday Book, Under the Radar and Upstairs at Du Roc.

Night in the City by James Bell

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