A Sky Poem

The ball of orange and yellow fire rises up
into the crimson sky
The light touches the land
The snow reddens before its superior
The darkenss of night draws back
like a stage curtain
revealing the act of day
Clouds roll
like waves in the sea
They are the whitecaps of the sky
Shadows continually stretch
to touch the land
The land reaches
to the light
for its life-giving essence
Clouds continually block
this effort to bond
casting their shadows
between light and land
The battle continues
throughout the day
until the ball of fire
dressed in robes of scarlet
sinks into its bath of darkness
the clouds and sky blush
as they say good-bye to the day
and welcome the night
which covers them with its dark blanket.

[Poetry Notebook: May 27, 1991]