The Sun Also Sets
By John Herlihy

The sun rises and the sun also sets,
Casting everything into silhouettes.
The blood-red sun climbed the sky,
Becoming fiercer as it rose on high.
At first, but a mild pale white bone,
Lost in the universe, far from home.
Hazy, furry, we look at it and blink,
The gleaming shield seems to wink.
Invading the serene cloudless blue,
Creating mystery we think we knew.
The flaming orb holds time’s arrow,
Awakening birds, even the sparrow.
We reach to shield its awesome light,
Then close our eyes so it’s out of sight.
Shade seemed hard to come by here,
The blinding light oppressively near.
At noon, the harrowing sun overhead,
For all the heat, my heart simply bled.
The moon’s night now distant memory,
The pale glow in the darkness feathery.
Alas, all things, even the mighty, do fall,
Even stars are suns, but appear so small.
The sun now moves down Heaven’s steps,
Just as the sun rises, so also the sun sets.
The fireball quietly subdued in the West,
In taking leave, it seeks well-earned rest.
Sinking ever so slowly over horizon’s lip,
Tasting the world in one last delicious sip.