August
Water and wind do it too
but differently
it is another thing
to be eroded by light that’s
to be scintillated then scorched
the STOP sign in the desert stops
being cherry-colored to be
tomato then persimmon
August streaks it
yellow blurs its letters because
heat makes things dull in color but
sharp in sensation
thorns cactus needles
wild fire makes a track of black
stubble that crosses a highway if
the wind
takes it to the next field
but light is trackless it shrinks
the pupil sharp as a pin prick
it bleaches the world away
