Sunrise and Sunset

Sunrise and Sunset, by David Samuel Richmond Like an actor waiting for the curtains to part before the scene unfolds, She waits below the dark horizon for her appointed time to appear. The shades of pinkish gray, and bronze and a myriad of color combinations on the horizon, betray her attempt to hide from view. It is as if she is playing peekaboo with the darkness, tantalizing her audience, mesmerizing them with a symphony of colors. Suddenly she emerges from beneath the horizon, a sliver of a golden orb, revealing a fraction of herself at a time, all the while painting a scene of indescribable beauty on the canvas of the sky above the line where heaven meets earth. Once she begins this phase of the drama, there is no hesitation. She is like a giant awaken from slumber and ready to run a race. Soon this blazing orb of burning gases we call the sun, dispels the darkness of predawn and the earth is aglow with her golden beams. Brighter and brighter she shines until she reaches the fullness of her strength in the zenith of the sky. Then like a meteor in slow motion, she begins her descent to the abyss below the horizon from which she emerged. As she descends her strength slowly decreases, but her glory does not abate. About an hour before she disappears from view, she again plays her tantalizing game. Descending slowly, like an aircraft touching down on a runway. She gives the impression that she does not want to exit the stage. As she nears the horizon, she splashes a dazzling display of colors on the canvass of the sky. The palette of colors and variety of patterns and scenes created by the light and the clouds is as mesmerizing as they were at sunrise. Finally, this golden ball of fire touches down on the runway of the horizon, resplendent in her glory, turning the horizon to a brilliant orange, burnished bronze and a variety of shades of red and gold all mixed together. As she sinks below the horizon, she seems to be playing a game of hide and seek as the dark clouds of evening creep over her. Then suddenly, she is gone, but not without a trace, for her afterglow remains for quite a while after sunset. Eventually the darkness of night prevails and we are left with only the memories of another beautiful sunset, but not for long, because after what appears to be a long night, the cycle of sunrise and sunset repeats itself again and we get to enjoy the drama over and over again, until we experience our own SUNSET.