The illuminated numbers on the face of the clock winked out and went dark at 5:43 in the morning. The taut electrical whir & buzz, clicked and went silent in the dim glow of dawn. It could be nuclear war, a polar shift, the end of time, or a branch on a power line. …

Number the herd. Number/ the baskets after harvest./ Note the reappearance of the moon/ after its short absence.