From my hotel room
the old high rise
fifteen floors in all –
less like a place
where people live
than a derelict
from Bladerunner
or some other
dystopian pic.

Here and there a light.
Here and there a TV screen
stark contrast
to the dark, empty windows
the advertising boards
that light up
whole buildings.

Even at night
Hong Kong traffic crawls
stops, starts, and stutters –
but the old high rise
lingers on
surrounded by big brothers
who’ll one day
crush it underfoot.

© Copyright Brendan E Byrne 2018. All rights reserved.