[1] Dressed in a caul of half-sleep, He ventures into the lit courtyard Every morning, armed with a long handled broom Composed of bamboo, rushes, and rope, To sweep aside the leaves and twigs Freighted there by a night’s worth Of howling and gnashing of teeth.

He sweeps and sweeps, Day after day, year after year.

[2] The familiar dawdlers, other than the garcons, are all here. Some mouths are mouthing the read words. Some hands are fisting pens, etching paper with ink. All faces are pulling on their shadow-suitcases. And all eyes are filming over like the blind,

Even as you move from table to table Looking for a mirror in which you may recognize your own face.

[3] Clouds slat the horizon. Wind pries loose the last autumn leaves Persisting in their sappy hold. Rain sews up the sunset coal In its steel-grey shawl.

Am I what I am before?

In the lines : "Rain sews up the sunset coal In its steel-grey shawl." are you trying to say that a shawl sews up something? In addition given that rain pours down and blankets the earth how does a similar poetic metaphor apply to the sunset?