understanding

image by the author

the streetlight highlights .
snow covered branches, showing .
what it watched last night

—

the source of light that is the inspiration for the photo is a streetlight that is still glowing as the sun rises. knowing this doesn’t detract from the image but it does remove any qualities that could be misconstrued as being mystical or holy, or even natural. beauty can just be beauty without carrying the added burden of meaning. and understanding what we’re seeing clarifies that beauty.

then i go and anthropomorphize the streetlight…