Ashes at Dusk

The meadow lark painting...

the one where the woman is looking up

and the sun is bright, burning orange

and the rest of it is brown and muted.

I learned that this dark color was called

raw umber.

There's also burnt umber, and yellow ochre.

Whoever painted that one knows

at the end of the day

there's a moment

when time stops.

The color of the day then, is muted. Not known.

The sun's light is the last strong glimmer.