Stone Arch Over Wet Poppies in Rain

A weathered stone arch stands broken against a sky heavy with low, gray clouds. Beneath the crumbling masonry, a dense slope of red poppies sways in the damp air. Rain has left the ancient rocks slick and dark, their rough surfaces reflecting the flat, white glare of noon. Water beads on the velvety petals, turning the vibrant reds into deep, saturated crimson. The leading lines of the eroded pathway guide the gaze from the foreground up toward the fractured top of the tower. Moss rests on the lower joints of the stonework, softening the harsh edges of the ruin. one drop of water hangs from the tip of a flower stem, trembling before falling onto the wet earth below.