Sunset

Now the ruler of the day
Sets upon his throne
Who, throughout the daylight hours,
Ruled the sky alone.

All the chorus of the clouds,
Orange, gold, and red,
Come to chant their evening hymn
To their glowing head.

As the fearsome furnace fades,
Its brilliant solo theme
In the clear cloud counterpoint
Continues to gleam.

In the west spills molten gold
From Sol's crucible,
While blue deepens by degrees
Imperceptible.

Now the golden disk erodes,
Sixty seconds run;
Through growing gloom then flashes
One last beam of sun.

As the last cloud stops its song,
Stars come out to play,
Since to them the dark of night
Is unending day.

Dark blue stillness settles down,
With its lunar guest,
Time of quiet, peace, and calm,
Time of grateful rest.

Through dark of night envelops
Half of planet earth,
Hopeful choirs of clouds await
Morning sun's rebirth.

[Made July 3, 1988]

In a comment below Sheila mentions poems about the sun, and I found that I had not yet posted this one - hard to believe I wrote it 20 years ago. I guess it's time to do another on this topic.