Light

No painter could ever capture
           the perfection of this pure blue
unblemished winter sky
           Earlier a jet flew overhead
leaving a trail of vapour
           so geometrically straight
that it bisected this wonderful
           canopy of air and so created
the impression that the atmosphere
           could be cut into segments
and dismantled
            wide arcs of imaginary blue
set aside
           for later reassembly
an illusion available
           only to our earthly optics

: and so sharp
           the solid silhouettes
of the houses and trees
           the gentle motion
of rust coloured leaves
           the photographic quality
of the pigeons flying to and fro
           with their aimless purpose
and everywhere the light filtered
           through the bejewelled light

John Lyons