After the Rain by Ben Rasnic

(Baltimore, Maryland)

November scrubs the Chesapeake sky
cold and gray as cobblestone alleys,
pigeons roosting in the eaves of rooftops,
mourning doves aloft in granite mist.

Charcoal smoke clouds drape the harbor
in familiar vagueness.
Seagulls shriek
unseen in the eggshell light.

Day dissolves quickly
this time of year
gray fades to black
across the coarse fabric of sky.

Cusp of moon
leans over Fells Point,
headlights shimmering
in puddles
of brick pavers.

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