night cloud color

at dawn, the clouds are blue-gray

mottling the brighter white-blue

of sky beneath them

past dusk, the clouds and sky

were blue-black and an eerie white

as though all civilization’s fear

of darkness were determined

to hold off night and it was difficult

to tell by color, which was cloud

and which was sky

obscure reality

 night sky, even miles from the city

more gray than black

brilliant stars still insist on being seen

but many of their apparent companions

are faded by our neon and LED and arc lights while we try to keep dark reality,

as we try with old age, at bay