For the Last Time

Sunrise/Sunset

When I walked outside, I could hardly see anything. The sky was dark. The only light above was the thin moon. The early morning air was thick with the aftereffects of last night's shower, the smell of rain still heavy in the air. It felt so barren, to look down the long road and see no signs of life. Not a movement, not a sound to tell if I was the only one alive. This is why I hate mornings. The absolute starkness of the morning commute. Nothing but the yellow streetlights to guide the way. Nothing but the tall palm trees to look out for me. It felt like a dystopian film, with cars left abandoned on the side of the road, and townhome after townhome looking exactly the same (2 doors, 6 windows and a little garden in between) and nothing to shine out through the dull sight.

I sighed and got into my car, I really didn't had the time to mess around, I was already late. But as I waited for the car to warm up, I saw something truly spectacular. The sunrise. I never really noticed it before, but that time I saw the true beauty. It wasn't like the normal ball of blinding fire you'd normally see, it was soft, gentle. The light yellow slowly rising filled me with a kind of happiness I haven't felt since I was a child. And the rest of the sky was slowly filled with rays of pink, reaching out to share their light to all. The sight wasn't something that I would describe as a candle in the darkness, it was softer, yet stronger. It was calmer, yet brighter.    

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The last five minutes on my drive home is a long, slow procession. But it's not caused by the usual rush hour traffic grinding all to a crawl on the freeway. No the reason that I drive 2 mph in a zone with a 20 mph speed limit is because of kids. All the kids that live in my neighborhood love to go outside and soak up the last rays of sunshine. Playing games with chalk and imagination, shooting each other with nerf guns. I have to be careful not to interfere with an ongoing race on their beat-up bikes and razor blade scooters. They abandon all helmets and knee pads, and throw safety to the wind, not letting silly rules limit their fun. The street is filled joyful screams and laughter and they run, trip and get back up again. Their energy seems to even change the world around them as the sky turns a soft yellow as the sun tries it's hardest to light up the street for them. The world has paused for their pleasure.

But it can't remain that way forever. The day can only be so long. And all happiness must become memories. As I pull into my parking spot, the sun can no longer stay in the sky. The pink haze that was on the horizon deepens into a rich red and the sky darkens. The kids are all summoned inside by their parents. All the toys return inside, with the only reminder of the earlier joy is the foam bullets and chalk littering the ground. 

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Hey! Ok I know I've been a little- well very inactive for the past months and I sincerely apologize. I'm taking alot of hard courses this year and have been unable to write or on serious writers block when I can.  So here's a little descriptive piece I've been working with, or really had to do for class. I might be doing more of these cause their really helping with my writer's block problem. 

See ya in the next one! 

~Willa