Did you see the sky at dawn this morning? For a few moments the horizon blazed red, and it seemed the entire city was on fire. The houses glowed, luminous as flesh, and the distant towers glittered red and gold like bloody spears. The sky was a banner.

And yet, by the time I took this picture the glow was already fading and after another minute it was as if this radiant sunrise had never occurred. The sky grew leaden and low and fell over the city like a shroud.