Secular Grace

See this snapshot of an aluminum lawn chair.

Notice how the late evening light

 dignifies plastic chairs or rusted cars,

 even the carcass of the bloated cow

 on the hill killed by lightning.

People, too, from a certain point of view,

 gain radiance this time of day.

The homeless pair walks to their rag nest,

A child plays with dust on the dirty floor.

It is true as the sun at noon,

but cruel the way the light 

seems to sanctify the mass of flies,

the wretched couple, the untended child.

War photographers bear beautiful ugliness.

I wonder what they call it.