Matthew Word Bain

well hidden by cheerful colors
the utility end of this restaurant
is only visible from the alley
where I love to walk

slowly fading blue and chlorophyll diminishing
the blue paint seemed bolder in the spring
as did the deep green of these leaves
one has suffered under the sun
while the other has thrived
this paint will need a new coat
and this tree will make one of its own
and increasingly shelter this paint from the sun
nourished by the same radiation the paint only endures

the bright reflection of sunlight
off this bright white facade
mutes the cool blue of the sky
with its sculptural painted clouds
and hides the mountains just beyond
so brimming with the colors of fall

nestled at the foot of the mountains
the scale of this strip feels perfect
and the light suddenly sublime
as the last rays of the sun
fall only on the farthest ridges
and dusk settles in for the night

when a tree gets expressive
and strikes a pose
it can take years to make the statement
and years more for it to fade

sometimes it’s hard to tell what’s real
German car in the distance?
Italian mini for scale?
which one is a reflection
and which one is really real
no smoke and a mirrorless camera
but there’s something strange going on

fall colors in the distance
golden hour on the sundial
polished chrome in the foreground
an orchestral evocation of feeling

flatbed, gooseneck
at rest in the side yard
I peek through the fence
looking for the right angle
wanting to get closer
admiring the view
honing my perspective
until the frame serves
the composition
and I see something
I couldn’t before

as the sun goes down
lengthening shadows converge
pointing to sunrise

waiting on the corner as the sun goes down
I wonder what connections already exist
which will lead to this building’s renovation

in a small town like this, there are folks
who know everybody and their great aunt
when the work begins, people like this
will be able to identify the links
in the chain of connection
between the parties involved
even if those parties are meeting
for the first time through this process

there are always things happening
beneath the surface of the visible
no less vital for being unseen