Random Act of Metaphor: The Extravagance of a Late September Sunset Halo

Hmmm, should I slip away to the ride the train of memory or seize the moment and live within it?

Looking out my 18th floor apartment window, I see a wedge of sunlight that filters between the buildings as the sun arches toward the horizon. It feathers through the treetops like a celestial halo that blesses that which it touches for a few precious minutes before sunset.

It is always there around this time of day. But the particular angle it strikes in late September and October gives it a particular poignancy. It often seems to me to be pointing, figuratively speaking, to years past and the memories that reach out from them. I’m tempted to give myself over for a while to a memory train ride.

But as pleasant as that would be – I do indulge myself in that manner periodically – I realize that this extravagance of sunlight only exists, in that particular configuration, for perhaps fifteen minutes. It seems more important to meditate on its elusive beauty while it holds court.

The extravagance of a late September sunset halo – a random act of metaphor to remind me that, though memories may be poignant, they only exist to provide context for the elusive graces that each moment holds. Life is in the here and now and must be grasped with vigour before it slips away.

~ Michael Robert Dyet is the author of “Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced www.mdyetmetaphor.com or the novel online companion at www.mdyetmetaphor.com/blog . Visit www.smashwords.com to download a free preview of the e-book version.

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