Happy City Night Poem by Emmanuel George Cefai

up the stairs
Down the stairs
through one street
another
on the yearning night-bridge
the people
came to old Valletta

even coming
music in the airs floated
and
the glance on the skies
high with fireworks
and colors
went:

the old arch of Valletta
felt
underneath it pass
and re-pass
the flow of thronging crowds

who talked
who drank
who joked
who more serious walked
who in family
who alone
who in friends
who in groups
the large crowd
swelled and chirped.

airplanes of colors
bright and
several
passed over the
skies:
the people looked
the people wandered
the people cheered.

Ah! how many days
rare to the working crowds
the crowds propense and
determined
to enjoy
to their working days
in as proportion direct.

Time came.
Time was.
Time flew.
The end of the festivities
and shows
at last though late
came.
the crowds that thronged
as snow in the sun's
light
began dissolve
till
by the sea and shore
not one pace made.

for me
life in youth
was the opportunity after
opportunity that I spurned
for work I choose
alas! too absolute.

and now
and now
the payment for those times
pay I
the sad headaches
the pierced heart
the fierce despairs
all these remain
now.
these remain