undreaming

the changing light at San Francisco
is none of your East Coast light
none of your
pearly light of Paris
The light of San Francisco
is a sea light
an island light

and the light of the fog
blanketing the hills
drifting in at night
through the Golden Gate
to lie on the city at dawn

and then the halcyon late mornings
after the fog burns off
and the sun paints white houses
with the sea light of Greece
with sharp clean shadows
making the town look like it had just been painted

but the wind comes up at four o'clock
sweeping the hills
and then the veil of early evening
and then another scrim
when the night fog
floats in
and in that vale of light
the city drifts
anchorless upon the ocean.

The Changing Light by Lawrence Ferlinghetti