"and all at once it seemed that past and present had joined again without any divisions in it, and that all my memories and impressions had ordered themselves into one complete pattern whose metaphor was always the shining city of the disinherited"

This passage reflects a moment where the boundaries between past and present blur, creating a seamless unity of experience. The narrator's memories and perceptions come together to form a coherent image, symbolized by a glowing city inhabited by those marginalized or cast aside.

"a city now trying softly to spread the sticky prismatic wings of a new-born dragonfly on the night."

The metaphor of the city spreading delicate, colorful wings like a newborn dragonfly suggests renewal and hope. It signifies a gentle emergence into a new phase, illuminated against the darkness of night, emphasizing a theme of transcendence and transformation.