is the sky - a woman licked by light

her belly the yellow of goodbye

of approaching flight

in town at day’s glass doors, humans walk

their souls on still-warm pavements

this time of need, when trees send their hopes out to the fields

our lady of dusk at creature-flitter hour

draws disturbance into the trees

uncivil curmudgeon of bird voice her theatre of comfort

Dismantling herself

she rewrites the rules of each day’s quiet

O, lady of the dusk, I whisper to you

the faces of my sinking

Tell how I join the list of things I see as we go black inside

Tell how I need a barrier to drink night’s approaching dreams

Darkness dilates, I shawl disturbance round me

it is long since daylight put me in a cage

xanthous now with a tongue of cream

I am inked like the eyes

of babies,

the voices of owls whose shadows paint the plain

Not needing light’s consent I read the faces of those walking

make believe I am readying for rest - though I’ll uncivil you

for hours to come

Dusk is our story - darkness the sound track - slowly I raise the volume

If lately feathered light has flustered

dark doesn’t find me wanting, as I bleed the sky

and sore