The evening sun hid behind the
gold rimmed cobalt cloud
Firing golden shafts
Straight as arrowshots
Like a radiance in yesteryear's altar piece.

Suddenly we saw it: A celestial curling stone of rainbow
Tucked into an arroya of the dark cumulus.
"A Sundog!" someone shouted.
"Sundog? What a bumpkin name
for a vision so exquisite!"

Its scintillated and deepened color
Holding captive our awe-filled attention
. Then to our joy, in the cloudmass to our left
Appeared another! Then another!
Fainter and less defined than the first
But no less enchanting.

Long minutes we stood watching.
They faded.
Slowly coming back to earth,
I heard someone say, "God sends
the most delightful promise
of tomorrow's rainstorm."