Eye-to-Eye
Nov 10 2009


The sun struggles up,
hovering just above the trees.
Finger-like shadows
stretch across the gravel
reach as far as the lawn,
so it feels as claustrophobic
as a prisoner
rattling his bars.
Afternoon is brief,
night falls fast and silent
like solitary confinement
until spring.

Nevertheless, light floods-in
short and sweet —
to the far corner of the kitchen
the picture window, incandescent,
illuminating every dust-ball
every crumb.
Almost horizontal;
fully unforgiving.

What a contradiction
in this cold dark season;
that I can be overwhelmed by light,
by the sun
giving its all.
I bask in its heat,
blink, in its blinding brightness.
Tomorrow, they’re calling for cloud,
for rain, turning to snow.
But for now
I am a hot-house tomato,
feeling as fat and lazy
as summer.

The purification of light,
looking out at the sun
eye-to-eye.