I awoke this morning to a landscape in black
and white, a stark mixture of shadow and light.
A visual cacophony, yet somehow harmonious-
a paradox.

Feathery frost festoons the trees, now
standing gaunt and bare, appearing like
black lace against a background of snow.
Absence of color, painted upon an easel-
the epitome of all colors in one.

Disturbing contrasts- black on white,
shadow and light, emptiness- fullness.
The morning sun reflecting from the scene
burned the image onto the retina of each eye.

Turning my gaze away from the window
and back to the dimness of the room,
the image lingered but was reversed,
now black was white and white was black

@ 2000
.