peace in the neon

Chateau Room 57

for Leonard Cohen

it's been two months

since LA has seen the sun
i have gone pale as this room
i have been diffused

the sky reaches into corners
white on white
glances off the service tray
seeps into our lungs

somewhere below open windows
traffic moves over painted arrows
and in the curtains’ chilly breath
you can hear Cohen's whisper

i too am a ghost here
haunting the halls of confidence
stealing tea and oranges
to fuel my masterpiece