Twilight Descending and the Finality of Night
Twilight descending…
Sunlight,
The remains of another day
Once golden, but now changing,
Yellow fading to orange and then pink,
Giving way finally,
To the many shades of purple
And harshness of grey.
Unkempt and raw
Overhead bruises and scars
Each gathering a collection of darkness.
Mysterious jewels of the night sky;
Emerging without fanfare
Spreading and silently evolving
Filling the great empty,
Chasing the remains
Of the few remaining quills of light.
In a defiant act of surrender,
An intense charge of luminosity,
From beyond the western horizon,
Ribbons of metallic reflection reach out
Giving the last of their illumination
Furiously spreading all that remains
Reaching out to the concrete jungles
Spilling across the worn asphalt,
The courts, parking lots, and roadways.
Caressing the crumbling concrete curbs,
Over the trampled flowerbeds,
Bending and banking around rusted handrails,
Each fire escape and iron balcony.
Dancing along the rows of ash cans,
The sidewalks and stairways,
Lighting the doorknobs and doorways
That final burst of energy,
A brilliant moment of reprieve
An ethereal polishing of the gritty tenements
Pure unadulterated rays of light,
Leaping from each grimy window to the next
Perfection in a blinding flash,
Until at last that which was bright,
Suddenly is quieted
By the finality of the night
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Very descriptive Ralph, with some really original phrasing and stark imagery. Lovely work my friend. Cheers!
I took those pictures a few nights ago – they were quite inspiring as you can see
Beautiful photos and yes, quite inspiring. I love the night sky and the way the sun rays travel over everything before it fades and leaves “Mysterious jewels of the night sky”. Your phrasing paints such a vivid image, Ralph. Well done.