Logs Floating in Sawmill Pond Morning Shadow

Early morning light cuts a thin rim along the tops of massive timber logs floating in a muddy holding pond at a rail yard near Bangalore. Deep shadows swallow the water's surface, leaving only the wet, dark bark of the logs visible against the gray slurry. Steam rises faintly from the humid air, blurring the edges of the concrete embankment where the logs press against each other. Rust stains streak the metal railings in the background, against the fresh green of monsoon vegetation clinging to the far bank. The logs sit heavy and motionless, their rough textures glistening with recent rain, while the steel wheels of a stationary rail car loom in the periphery. One log drifts slightly, its wet end catching the faint edge of the morning sun.