The dark cast of night brings forth a vile stench. Hurried little feet scurry along the gutter and cross the street. Gypsies sway by a fire to silent tunes, while the harlots of the night gather together on the parks bench. A sirens wail, echoes off rancid and decaying walls as smelly old men stumble from drink and fall. Across the way, young punks tease and taunt an old woman, spinning her in circles and tearing at her ragged old shawl. Time has forgotten this once lovely place, where the affluent came to dine, took in the theater and filled its halls with beauty and grace. Alas, time has taken its toll. Gone now are the affluent ones...gone are the theater shows. All that remains is a city in decay, and the vermin of night that pick her to the bone.

J. Allen Wilson 2003