Night Walk in Taipei

by Chen Qufei

In the deep night, I walk Taipei streets
Lights spill across the damp asphalt
Neon snakes like rivers through endless darkness,
Flowing with splintered colors.
The last MRT train sweeps by,
Carrying untold stories and weary silhouettes.
Windows reflect mottled lamp glow;
Every seat holds a sleepless dream.

In the alley’s depths, street lamps flicker softly,
Illuminating shops with half-lowered shutters.
Red brick walls retain whispers of the day,
Only the wind speaks now,
In a night that listens to no one.

At the street corner, a stall steams with braised treats,
Aroma mingling with the night market’s chatter.
Crowds ebb and flow,
Each carrying small, secret joys,
Floating in the darkness like a moving poem.
Shouts, laughter, the scent of oil fade
Leaving paper scraps scattered,
Waiting quietly for morning’s return.

Far above, Taipei 101 glimmers in the night sky,
A lighthouse both distant and tender,
Keeping watch over the city’s pulsing heart,
Over this sleepless, bustling, gentle Taipei.

Night walks in Taipei—a quiet, warm poem.
Neon rain splashes across every street.
Lamp light tipsily sways beneath the dark,
Red lanterns hang like stars in midair,
Illuminating the passing footsteps in the alleys.
The Tamsui River breeze brushes softly,
Carrying faint salt and whispers of distant seas.
Skyscraper glass mirrors flicker with city light,
Fragments of the soul glimmer
Through the sleepless night.