Cumulus Clouds

Corded in the bright afternoon sky,

Their lighter tops upon their darker rests,

Their cording suggesting the earth’s great curve
Their order framing the distant horizon.

Sailors have seen these—

Persians, Chinese, Greeks, Egyptians,
Dutch, French, English, Spanish, Portuguese--and

Before them various desert-dwelling, jungle-dwelling

Large-jawed people, looking at bright afternoon sky,

Saw these and were filled with awe.

--June 3, 2013