Mellow mists

First real fog of autumn
           vision
fifty yards at most
           a redefinition of reality
ghostly trees and houses
           on the edge of space

a temporary blindness
           shared by the community
under a dense shrunken sky
           : but life goes on
and we all go to work
           to school or about our business

and the wind—
           the wind has yet
to stir but when it awakes
           it will clear the air
then the birds will
           recall their song
and my mind
           will move on
beyond
           the last thought

John Lyons