"Finding beauty in decay. My poems explore the dark corners of the city and the quiet ruins of the heart."
by 2025-06 • ❤️ 989 Likes
Works by Mistveil
Graveyard Shift
A fluorescent hum above the greasy floor,
The diner waits as quiet minutes crawl.
A tired waitress lingers by the door,
While shadows stretch across the peeling wall.
Her apron bears the stains of countless nights,
Of spilling steam and faces mostly blank.
We share the sterile comfort of the lights,
And watch the darkness pressing at the bank.
"u nailed that exact diner feeling. the silence between you and the tired waitress says way more than any conversation could."
Pigeons
They crowd the ledge above the banking hall,
With ashen wings that match the city air.
They wait for bits of scattered bread to fall,
Content to feed upon our bleak despair.
They do not ask for glory or for flight,
They merely pace the gutter and the street.
I envy how they navigate the grey,
And find a quiet comfort at our feet.
"how did you manage to make pigeons and grey streets sound almost... enviable? that last stanza hit me like a truck tbh."
Last Orders
The heavy bell proclaims the closing time,
The neon sign stops buzzing overhead.
The barman wipes a spreading ring of lime,
And leaves the final quiet words unsaid.
A sad song crackles from the dusty amp,
About a weeping river reaching sea.
I pull my collar tight against the damp,
And leave my empty spirit here with me.
"this feels as heavy as a whole short story. every single image earns its keep... the final 'empty spirit' part is just chefs kiss 🤌"
Underpass
A spray-paint promise blooming in the rust,
Beneath a bridge where dirty water weeps.
A fervent vow descending into dust,
As careless time a heavy secret keeps.
The scarlet letters flake against the stone,
Where moss begins to swallow up the vow.
He left his heart to weather all alone;
The painted words mean nothing to him now.
"makes me think about all the spray-paint graffiti and vows we leave under bridges that outlast us. so haunting."
The Sodium Hours
When three o'clock reclaims the empty street,
The amber halos flicker in the damp.
The pavement echoes with my dragging feet,
Beneath the blind and unforgiving lamp.
The concrete arches rise into the gloom,
While velvet shadows gather in the cracks.
I wander through this sprawling, open tomb,
And trace the weary city's faded tracks.
Gloaming by:
"u nailed that exact diner feeling. the silence between you and the tired waitress says way more than any conversation could."