at night
rain falls neath soft neon lights
between the old walls of Vienna,
as people laugh &
take in the sights
and the piano plays for the end of days
in a broken-down cafe
I hear a song, sudden
like a waltz
some ancient dance
I remember well the woman
beneath the glass and chandeliers
eternal candlelight
my sweet affection
my own sustained fears
How
I’ve longed
to hear that sound
again. The crashing chimes
A fury, yea, that rising tide
And the eyes
The eyes of all who watched
We’re all frozen in time
Within the opera house walls
In Mighty Budapest
The ancient crest
still faded, I remember best
when I hear the violins, from now
until then, for when I return out west
from Vienna
I remember
my sacred heart
the sweetest music
playing in the dark
&
as
the
rain
still falls
On these streets between undaunted walls
I hear your voice call soft to me
A fog from the ancient shores of the sea
—-
What I owe I must remember
Made me a vow ‘neath the stars of the desert
I know I can’t stay here forever
On these streets, my beloved
these streets of Vienna
these streets
these streets
these streets of Vienna
Ren Michael 