Owl Light

by Sharlee Mullins Glenn

Grandma called it owl light
that in-between time
when day leans into dark
and sun slips, half-domed,
beneath the curve of earth;
that smokey liminal stretch
when shadows pool
and time holds its breath,
the whole world bathed
in a gauzy haze stitched
of earthdust and light;
that numinous hour
when something is begun
but nothing is yet finished;
when where you’ve been
and where you’re going
mingle, meld, and blur
not past, nor future
but threshold; and what
comes next is holy—
darkness deepening
into night.

---

Sharlee Mullins Glenn has published poetry, essays, short stories, articles, and criticism in periodicals as varied as Women's Studies, The Southern Literary Journal, Segullah, BYU Studies Quarterly, Ladybug, and The New York Times. She is also an award-winning author of children's books and a contributing editor for Wayfare.