After the rain

A subtle alchemy

Photo Credit: Zoe Day

Summer, after the rain,
and the pavement glittered,
as I walked, breathing in the damp night air
through which a thousand butterflies,
or a thousand moths, had also fluttered,
up to the light, or down to the pavement;
so many intersections
so many cross streets
sirens and footsteps: boot heels, soft-soles, stilettos…
a door slammed shut, a corner turned and then

The quiet, empty street;
quiet enough to hear the electric hum of streetlights
casting out shadows;
and I stopped walking,
just stopped and stood on the wet pavement
breathing in the damp night air, and the quiet;
breathing in …breathing in…
until I felt the emptiness filling,
flooding through some subtle alchemy,
fluttering wings rushing the darkness
and the streets running with
rivers of grime turned to gold:
street and light and breath all one
wingbeat,
heartbeat,
electric hum

Beneath my feet the shimmer of a thousand thousand
Summers, after rain.