people love sunsets

An ode to the hidden day

people love sunsets 

but they also love sleep
so they usually miss out
on the poured morning colors 
sunrise, a mute awakening: 
the way night is banished
the way day remembers 
who she really is.
sunrise occurs 
for only an instant, 
namely, the moment when
the sun’s upper limb appears 
tangent to the horizon. (1)
but, also, 
astronomical dawn
civil twilight
smudged by atmospheric effects
extend the painted breath
into protracted minutes ...
while birds serenade
while clouds decide where and how
while hate snoozes its concerns
while babies doze --
so are we in our dream state.
A woman consumes the dawn.
How tender is the shrouded 
heart, how harmless 
the sleeping gun, how pure 
the sun’s bloody ray 
pressing over 
the soft shoulder 
of a day

(1) What is the length of sunrise?