Susan Smith Nash
Sheltered by a wing
a knot of people -- like me,
we're stranded --
a sudden outpouring of rain,
a wind from somewhere on high,
thunder from the distant past --
another sudden outpouring
this time of sound;
bells -- it's 6 pm --
raucous arousal,
the actual bronze
(or whatever metal used in casting spells)
unmetered, dissonant, wet
like breathing in, deep
the rain has stopped
it is time to carry on
in silence
full moon & white nights,
the moon a silver dome;
a light at midnight, carried
across the waters by starlight