noise to signal

Richard Selig blows my mind

So there I am at lunch, sitting in the sun and reading Wes' book, and I hit this gem, which just about makes me jump out of my chair:

From the 16th Floor

Pardoning this borough for its evil,
I look past the tops of buildings, to where
The sky is. Remembering that man's malice,
This man's fate; the former's cunning,
the latter's jeopardy -- seeing the sky,
Placid in spite of soot and heartache,
I am reminded to pray. Redemption,
like our janitor, comes as we go home:
A stooped man turning out the lights.

Richard Selig, New York City, 1957

I should mention here that at the time he wrote this poem, Richard Selig knew he was dying.