Low Light Villanelle

for the first time in many months
i woke to low light overcast
there is no sun this morning

summer’s bones are grinning
out of the tall dead grass
for the first time in many months

birds shrug their dull fall-plumaged shoulders
shake off dust and look toward the south
there is no sun this morning

and they know it’s almost time
to hit that road, invisible to human eyes
for the first time in many months

through cumulus over the Siskiyous
to wintering grounds by the great bay
there is no sun this morning

i feel the earth turn under my feet
feel the road’s vibration through my soles
for the first time in many months
there is no sun this morning

Available! High-Voltage Lines, Knocking from Inside