The sun rose fiery on a hazy July dawn
The clouds were blood red the world silent in awe
The birds seemed wary and were quiet in their singing
As if in wide wonder at the spectacle they saw
But soon the morning cleared and the sunshine did pour
And the sky like a volcano but molten memory from before.

Jim Bates lives in a small town in Minnesota. He loves to write! His stories and poems have appeared in nearly 500 online and print publications.