Seeing Tony’s stunning sunset image posted yesterday reminded me of this poem, which I wrote in the 1980s. I’ve always been fascinated by the sundown skies over the river channel looking west from Pawtucketville, particularly the vantage point from the O’Donnell Bridge that connects Mammoth Rd and School St. There’s something going on there between the water body and the heavens.—PM

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Big Sky Country

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A painter said Lowell has wonderful skies.

Crimson smear, fronds of jaune westerly. Pigment squeezed out and runny.

My viewpoint is mid-bridge in traffic—

the skinny winter no competition for minutes of imported pleasure.

A slow quake up high.

Fissured acres of cobalt, scarlet, purple.

In one sound the vehicles accelerate:

Amen.

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—Paul Marion (c) 2006, from “What Is the City?”