A Rift in the Clouds

The tail end of summer, the first hint of autumn. Cycling through an overcast morning, I glanced up at the sky and found a single break in the clouds - a vivid, startling blue, as if the fabric of the sky had torn open in one spot to reveal what lay beneath. I stopped and stood there, staring. Look for the silver lining - and there it was: above all those grey clouds, an entire world of brilliant blue and silver. Then, as if descending through that very rift, a melody in three-quarter time came to me. This is the musical of early autumn, born from that moment of inspiration.