The Rower's Palette

The Rower's Palette

It was as though I was
watching a painter
work his canvas
with bold strokes
of light and shadow.

A single rower,
then another,
and another
shot out from under
the bridge,

Their oars trailing shadow
and light, shadow, manuve,
shadow, deep purple,
the orange-red of the setting
sun mixing shadow with fire.

The canvas of the river broke
into a kaleidoscope
of millions of blazing chips,
for an instant held,
then drained all color to gray.

Philip Kuepper
(19 March, 2013)