The empire of the morning
is falling, falling.
The cold wavers a little,
divides, and collapses in colonies.
The sun feints behind acute corner,
advances west at a bicycle's pace.
Crows wag in the mulch,
scrabbling at petals,
cawing at the noon
that stands any moment.
I sit with the book
you plucked from the air,
joyed by it. I hope you call -
I will shave.
My thoughts of you eclipse
every domain of the hours:
the morning's empire dies, but
a confederacy of afternoon is raised,
& already there is a plot
putting forward a kingdom of night.