The Sky Flamed Forth

 

Photo from Sherry Lynn, Louisiana Dreams & Beyond Photography

 The sky flamed forth with passion from the day:
  A streak of orange, emboldened dab of red,
  A dash of yellow at the center bled;
And coursing forth across the sky a splay
Of beauty, blush, and zeal amidst the gray
  Of threat'ning clouds in somber tincture spread
  A blanket for the day to lay its head
As twilight came and sunlight fled away.

So yearned my heart at close of daylight hour,
  When musing on the joys that lay behind
    There flashes forth a memory of "then"—
The joy, the sorr'w, all kinds of sweet and sour—
  But hope arises, promises aligned!
    For Day shall come again: we look to "when"!

Cypress At Sunset

With parting glance
   and somber nod,
   The sun retired unto its room;
The closing night
   with shadows close,
   Demurely bowed ere spreading gloom.

- D. Benning

Cypress at Sunset by Christine Duhon,  https://www.facebook.com/christine.duhon.39

Sunset on the Kanawha

Patrick Street Bridge, Charleston West Virginia, photographer by Kevin Jack, https://www.kevinjackphotography.com/

The darkening clouds,
   midst fiery skies,
with lengthening shadows,
   the daylight dies.
Yet mirrored in quiet waters
   as an echo from the day,
Caught on the river as polished brass,
   undaunted by encroaching gray.
And slung between the halves
   a bridge connecting truth:
left to right, and sky to land,
   with mem'ries from my youth.

- D. Benning

Kanawha River, Charleston West Virginia, photographed by Kevin Jack, https://www.kevinjackphotography.com/

See also his facebook page.