"Deception By Night"

The city skyline at night-

a breathtaking and most glittering sight-

skyscrapers glitter like towers from dreams-

great bridges like sparking necklaces of light!
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By day, illusion vanishes-

like a stealing phantom of night-

the sparking wonderland so splendid and bright-

now transformed by harsh daylight.
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By night we see but glitter and light-

by day, reality returns, a harsh, glaring sight-

the twinklings of light that so thrill us by night-

we see, are but a mere illusion of sight.
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The night is deceptive, contrary and flight-

we see but the light that obscures our sight-

hatred and violence, wrong challenging right-

the good and the evil in a challenging fight.
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City lights at night reflect our hopes and our dreams-

But mock us with light that shines and gleams-

the electrical fairyland transforms both deception and gloom-

the sun returns, and with it reality-reality as cold as the tomb.
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And for the city's next trick - watch as the stars magically disappear!

 

Well, last month, when the heavy smoke from the ongoing Canadian wildfires threw the New York area into an ominous, dark red/orange haze (interior lighting was indeed needed, at 1PM!), we saw the sky itself disappear!

In urban areas (I live in an urban area), only the brightest stars can be seen with the naked eye; but, even these are becoming more and more difficult to view, with ever-increasing "light pollution".

As an amatuer astronomer, believe me, I know.........