Rust and Light

Galvanized steel, chipped and sharp,

the rough chill biting through my sleeve.

Paint peeled like old promises,

caught by fading twilight’s edge.

A stray bark cuts the empty street,

a dog’s call that’s gone unanswered.

The fence holds its scars like battle wounds—

silence hardened into cold metal.

Night pulls its blanket low and tight,

but the steel keeps its stubborn gleam,

a flash of light where rust claims its right,

a rough line carving through the dream.