angular space
high contrast
shades of grey
blue sky on one side
and a blinding light

where the light is diffuse
nuance is observable
navigation is easier
more enjoyable

it is so easy to be
blinded by the light
as blind as I am
in darkness

wandering in shadow
tall buildings block the sun

stepping into the light
and finding it hard to see

when contrast is high
grey areas are few

I can see in the darkness
without the sun in my eyes

it is adjusting to the light
that becomes difficult

neutral zones allow
for optimal functioning

I find there is
something about
a blue sky in winter
that warms me inside
perhaps it is an association
with the longer days of summer
and the heat that builds up
from dawn to dusk
heat enough
to leave some
behind as residue
in my body’s memory
to tap into on a short day
in the middle of winter
waiting for those
long days to
return

just down the alley
behind the service station
every evening about this time
this building blocks the setting sun
but this light appears each time
reflected from somewhere
but light all the same

last night
I dreamed
it came back
way up out of reach
I’d have to climb the tree
or that rusty ol’ drain pipe
up the side of the house

it was bright this time
real bright
like the sun was inside it
but that don’t make sense
cause I could see the sun
up in the sky

still no sign of Charlie
not even in my dream
sometimes I don’t know
which one is the dream

paint the color of moonlight
and a flap that must be
persuaded to open

I make my deposit
asking for dreams, again
the same request with the same
mixture of hope and apprehension
wanting to believe I am asking for dreams
knowing it is not that simple – that I am asking
to wake up
at last

for the light
through these
dirty windows
to be the gift
of a real sun

for the chance to sleep
in order to dream
and to dream
perchance
to awaken

after all these years
how will I know
the dream
from
the
waking?

like a UFO for squares
this shelter hovers
over a slowly shifting
array of ailing automobiles
still catching light in this season
if providing little in the way of shade

Euclidean planes crop up in the valley
surrounded by surfaces fully fractal in nature
which do you suppose will last longer?
which requires more maintenance?
is most supportive of life?

one is complex, the other merely complicated
one embraces a burgeoning diversity
the other exists to maintain
a lonely monoculture
kept safe inside four walls
under the roof it requires to survive

in this wager on longevity
how are you placing your bet?
what are you seeking to sustain?

corrugated roofing, siding
still shiny after all these years
this place is in pretty good shape
after having been closed for so long
helps being in the heart of town
with watchful neighbors
behind the scenes
off site, even
plans have been made
invisible from this vantage
until now, as a new fence reveals
something has been growing all along
and sooner than expected this place will be
changed. like it happened overnight.
and will have happened
In the dark
but over
many nights
only becoming
obvious of a sudden

sometime soon
something is coming
why else the bright fence
and the capsized blue bucket
clearly more of an indication
than a need to secure
what soon will be
more than just
a place to park