We live
in the shelter of oaks,
huge trees that block the sun
making the grass grow mossy.
The only light that reaches us
slants in from the side
just twice a day:
the horizon’s flirtation.
Sideways light
whispers promises:
the promise of the day to come,
the promise of the coming night.
Photographers know this;
they know how to capture
this sweet light
sidling up to a face.
Not the brazen dazzle of noon,
but the tentative light
hovering in a doorway,
everything about to change.
Laura Todd Carns is a writer and educator raised in Washington, D.C. and Botswana. She lives near Annapolis with her husband, children, temperamental houseplants, and far too many pets.
Oak Leaf illustration by C.B. Auder.
Claw & Blossom 