November Sunset

About five o clock,

the warm November day

just stops.

Bright afternoon

slams into evening

not even pausing

for twilight.

Blue sky

dims quickly

to violet,

but over ragged black canyons

the orange sun

lingers

and suddenly bursts

into astonishing gold.

Blithely ascending

the bright crescent

claims the cool

velvet night.

(11/16/2010)