In THE CLOUD PATH (Milkweed, paperback, $16), Melissa Kwasny’s seventh collection, clouds are caught up with grief, which is both overwhelming and mundane, to use a Shepherd word.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Several communities that saw storms Tuesday night caught a glimpse of a rare and beautiful optical phenomenon ...

So the next day, on my drive in to work, I was on the lookout. The sun was out again, and the clouds were of the same type as the day before. I had to work a little to see it. But then, there it was.