In a dark subway tunnel
between stations, a concave
safety niche holds
a grotto of graffiti
unseen unless
you happen to glance out
when the train lights hit it.

The moment you notice
its radiance
you’re past it, though
if you close your eyes
a vision of its brash vision
remains.

Someone
braved the trains and third rail and cops
to spray what graffiti artists call, considering
the danger involved, a Heaven Spot.

A Heaven Spot that tags you—
in your own private grotto—
like a dangerous dream.

Mark Belair’s poems have appeared in numerous journals, including Alabama Literary Review, Harvard Review, and Michigan Quarterly Review. He is the author of seven collections of poems and two works of fiction: Stonehaven (Turning Point, 2020) and its sequel, Edgewood (Turning Point, 2022). He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize multiple times, as well as for a Best of the Net Award. For more of his work, please visit www.markbelair.com.