At the end of the day

The sun sets on a haggard city
Dusty, sweaty, angry, filthy
Running on empty
Frustrated and needy
Trudging home
Alone but not alone
Faces are vacant and hard
Like stone
Protecting soft places
We guard what we own
Guard what is real
What is raw
What's inside
And then carefully
Unwrap and release it at night
And beg it to salvage
Some lost piece of mind
Or bring back our runaway hope
Hope that is fragile and feels suicidal
Let's medicate it with prayer
And persuade it to live
Not to fade but to stay
Redemption may just be
One sunrise away