Chiaroscuro

As a photographer, it caught my eye
this pathway by the road
that brought me into these woods:
the color of the trees, shrubs, and grass
are subdued, with their details
muted in the shadows
as light streams from above
passing through branches and leaves,
down to these violet flowers
whose petals glow like charcoal embers
from last night’s campfire,
whose color mimics the pale afternoon sky.
I stood there while it lasted
with only my senses as equipment.