October 12 Air

By Cliff Lake


October 12

      Air

 

Daybreak dawns bedewed:

Mists rise and curl,

Briefly though,

Then,

Sink slowly into lawns gone brittle,

Or settle on overnight laces spun,

Twinkling gems that fade with the rising sun.

The far cry of the passing trains linger longer,

Forlorn cries distant,

Heralds of harvest,

Grain and coal,

And lumber and travelers destined elsewhere.

Morning’s dins play more insistent,

Preparing for the long rest ahead.

 

Summer’s hazes have given way to crisp cerulean,

Such clarity is required by the fleeing geese.

Traffic hums louder,

Rather,

More distinct,

Clanks and clatter separate,

Rendered each to their own space.

So too are children’s calls more lucid,

The dogs bark more sharp,

The wailing sirens more pierced to the ear.

 

In the night,

The stars shimmer clearer,

More rough-edged as newly plucked jewels.

The bat calls come sharper,

Fare farther,

Unimpeded by sluggish muffling humidity.

Moon beams brighter,

Her face as burnished silver more intense,

The light she lends less diffuse,

The landscape goes more stark…

 

The air thins,

Cools and dries,

And twilight comes early…

 

Cliff Lake 10/12/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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