There is a magic photographers know
called the Blue Hour -
it exists after the casual sunset hunters
have returned their phones to their pockets
after the last burn of gold has dissolved
over the trees and rooftops.
The Blue Hour begins
when you realize you've been reading in the dark
for twenty minutes and you finally flip on a light
and wonder about the nature of time.
There is a secret window of minutes
when true night has not settled in -
where, if you let your camera drink in
the moment for the count of ten, or twenty -
the sky above the glow in your window,
above the shining street lamps,
above the taxi break lights
and the neon signs -
the sky will reveal a secret -
that it hides a queen's blue,
but you have to wait for it.
and it does not last.
