Clouds blush at sun’s
sudden rise from
darkness, and then
gray beyond age.
Pale dry bladders
bloat beneath skin
too thin to shed
tears for a mature
day. Sun’s eye blinds
a late day blaze.
Dust swirls up from
earth’s far horizon.
Clouds redden to merge
with night’s dark dreams.
Richard Dinges, Jr. works on his homestead beside a pond, surrounded by trees and grassland, with his wife, two dogs, two cats, and six chickens. October Hill, Avalon, Toyon, Alembic, and Jonah Magazine most recently accepted his poems for their publications.