Tan Lines on Retired Distiller Thane Morning

Pale dawn light skims the deep furrows of an elderly man's face, highlighting skin weathered by years of labor. Dark tan lines curve across his cheeks and forehead, tracing the shape of a hat brim or barrel rim against the surrounding sun-bleached skin. His eyes rest with an attentive stillness, fixed on a point just beyond the visible area. Soft green leaves drift past his shoulders, caught in a sudden gust that stirs the air. The background dissolves into a blur of muted browns and greens, isolating the texture of his pores and the rough fabric of his collar. A thin shadow falls beneath his chin, defining the hollow of his neck against the pale sky.