Somali Cattle Pen After Rain

Steel-blue twilight settles over a wooden cattle pen in Somalia, where mud has climbed halfway up the weathered boards. Hoof prints churn the dark earth, marking the path of livestock moving along the sorting rail. Chains dangle loosely from the squeeze-gate mechanism, their metal surfaces reflecting the cool, humid air that hangs heavy after the rain. Lot cards hang from the fence, their paper edges softening against the damp wood. The scene extends into layers of depth, with the rail receding into the distance where faint outlines of more pens emerge from the gloom. The ground remains slick, showing the texture of churned soil and scattered droplets of water clinging to the wood.