On an Evening Sky

However harshly the day’s light has shone upon the earth, inexorably, the luminous orb descends toward the distant horizon and softens its rays.  The near-translucent blue sky, washed pale by the radiance of the sun, slowly darkens, and nearest that great, glowing globe, the still-pale expanse blushes as the sun kisses the horizon and eases down out of sight.  Stray rays of light that then fail to bend ‘round the curve of the earth instead catch the distant clouds, limning them with light, as if bestowing a blessing upon them, and accenting the pink and orange sky with complementary shades of pastel yellow and violet.  In time, the sundry, subtly-shifting hues ease into solid blue, darkening in a smooth gradation toward the opposite end of the heavens.  Bright azure gradually intensifies into a soulful cobalt so profound that it draws the eyes of one’s mind ever deeper into the mystery of eternity.  Yet time subdues this brilliant color into sleepy black, beautiful in its own way, bejeweled as it is with tiny, diamond-like stars.  The watcher grows drowsy and eventually returns to a comfy house, a cozy bed, and a calming sleep beyond sight of the silent sky—upon her lips, a bed-time prayer of praise.

On Life and Toilet Paper

        With my birthday so recently come and gone, I feel reflective on our human perceptions of time, life, and age.  However, the cartoonist Brian Crane (doubtless quoting others) has already written such thought-provoking and humorous strips on the subject, I decided to share a couple of them in lieu of my own thoughts and to let you interpret them on your own.  Please enjoy (and I do hope this doesn't count as copyright infringement . . . ).