The speaker is looking at skies in a gallery and comparing two kinds of pictures: those shown in square frames, and those drawn by hand. The first group seems to hold feelings of love and loss. The speaker calls these "a dense love" and "a heavy loss," as if the weather in the pictures carries real weight. The clouds and boundaries differ from one image to the next, which suggests each sky stands for a different emotional state.
The hand-made skies hit harder. Here the speaker "comprehends," and the lines turn more personal: a "breathless day," "a price to pay," a wish to forget, and "a massive regret." Judging by the imagery, the square skies may be photographs, though the poem never says so. The mood is quiet, heavy, and a little worn out. Short, rhyming lines give it a steady, almost chant-like rhythm, as though the speaker is circling the same sadness while standing still in front of the art.