A WINDOW

Standing before a great
vertical pane of glass
a window; barrier
I confront two
dissimilar scenes

One is lit alive
sunlight splintered
circus colors, people
striding purposefully, people
shuffling like a mutter,
automobiles passing with utter certainty.
The street gracefully proclaims
a first dimension,
buildings suggest a second,
My line of sight traverses a third.
The fourth is open to interpretation.

And a second image presents itself.
a darker shade beyond the glass,
reflections of the room behind me.
Chiaroscuro geometries,
light, shadow, silence,
a quiet world imposed upon
the grand parade a step away.
Soft boxes in a universe of spheres.

Then (and this pinches each muscle
in my body like noise on a noiseless night)
Two pairs of eyes staring back,
mine, and yours.