Ode to a Changing Sky

Carried by a titan of beauty 

Back-crushingly deep and ever-changing.

Bright and full of life,

Yet so simplistically empty

Pure in its vastness and limitless in its containment

Blanketed over the earth, like an affectionate mother 

Hugging her newborn baby for the first time

The warmth of her love reaches deep inside,

Washing over those blessed by her embrace

and allowing the sharing and reflection of her compassion

Towards others-- like a mirror 

Making us all into miniature moons, hit by her light

As she shifts and she changes, 

convulsing, giving off vivid purples and pinks

Like bruising on an ethereal sea

A limitless pool, 

I can feel myself falling upwards, 

Sinking deep into colors I have never felt before

Sounds like comfort, Tastes like the color orange, 

My hands reaching towards silk blankets,

Folds of shimmering gradients,

On their way to a rich and creamy night,

Turning me back to the earth,

Gently allowing my feet to touch the ground,

But still pulling my gaze and my attention towards

The star-speckled canvas,

Laying the groundwork for the “star” of the show:

The spotlight the moon casts upon its blanket of black,

Casting the morning light, 

But softly, and without the harsh freshness of the morning. 

Then, in another fit of color, 

The cold, deep blanket of night crumples away,

And it’s replaced with another sea, 

Like a sunset painting turned on its head,

Revealing at last, and once again, forever

The beautiful blue and the crisp warm, 

Like a tide coming in and out,

Washing over the toes of the world 

And leaving, in place of seaweed, 

Time and happiness spent in love.

-Valerie P.