A long time ago I wrote a romance story about an American soldier and a young Cherokee girl set against the backdrop of the Trail of Tears. The opening line was “the sky glowed amber in the west.” It was evening and the day was done. It was dusk, and the world was settling after labors under the sun. Nature was voicing its presence as little creatures of all kinds came out from under their daytime hiding spots to stretch their legs and get some grub.
I love the evening. I love dusk because it’s a magical time when the sky is painted with hues of orange, pink, and purple. It’s a stunning natural phenomenon that deserves our admiration. As the day fades into night, the world seems to slow, and a sense of calmness and tranquility sets in. One poet says: The sable veil of the night is drawn, and the stars rush out in their myriads.
The beauty of dusk lies not only in the way it transforms the world around us but also in the way it brings a sense of calm and completion. Of finality. As the day comes to a close, I feel the transition from the weariness and negotiations of the day to the oneness of the night. It’s hard to hear my Father’s call when the braying of man is in your ear. Dusk is a time when we can slow down, take a deep breath, and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.
In our grim world, it’s easy to overlook the beauty. We’re often too busy rushing from one thing to the next to take the time to appreciate the world the Son gave us. Mr. McGraw said: Six lanes. Taillights. Red ants marchin’ into the night. They disappear to the left and right again. Another supper from a sack. A ninety-nine cent heart attack. I got a poundin’ head and an achin’ back. And the camel’s buried in a big straw stack.
Meanly like ants our life it frittered away. The poet William Wordsworth wrote, “the world is too much with us; late and soon, getting and spending, we lay waste our powers.” But if we can slow down and take a moment to enjoy the magnificence of dusk, we’ll be rewarded with a sense of peace and tranquility that we can carry with us into the night and beyond.
And I write:
As the sun sets, and the sky turns to dusk
The world around us slows, no longer a rush
The sable veil of night is drawn, stars shine bright
As the day is done, and darkness takes flight
The sky is painted, with hues so divine
A sight to behold, it’s truly divine
The heavens declare God’s glory, the sky proclaims
And the beauty of dusk, is nature’s sweet refrain
In this moment, we can slow down and breathe
Appreciate the beauty, our hearts to relieve
Nature’s balm, for our weary souls
As dusk sets in, and the day unfolds
So let us take a moment, to cherish dusk’s beauty
To reflect, and renew our sense of duty
For in this moment, we can find peace
And let the worries of the day, finally cease
(Josh Beavers is an award winning writer and author. He has earned more than 40 individual writing awards and is syndicated in 12 North Louisiana news journals. The Louisiana Press Association has recognized him five times for excellence in opinion writing, and he has earned numerous Best Investigative Reporting Awards and Freedom of Information Awards for exposure of governmental corruption in Webster Parish.)
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