Welcome, Ash-Shams*!

The last time I watched you emerge

was more than 2 months ago,

in a place so far removed from here:

a holiday haven

where waves washed over visitors

enjoying the last of their Summer break

before the grind of everyday life returned.

—

And now,

it’s an effort

to steal away for an hour

just to see you rise once more.

—

Dusty blue and orange skies turn pale

as your inimitable light emerges

from beyond mountains in the distance;

illuminating all your warmth touches,

as silhouettes of trees and towers stand tall,

their misty blanket melting away

as you climb ever higher,

asccending to the throne you’ll occupy

for the next 12 hours.

—

A flock of birds

makes its way across the horizon;

on the move for morning sustenance,

while gnats dance chaotically in mid-air,

as sunlight glistens off a distant rooftop –

students still fast asleep wthin…

bearing no witness

to your magnificent arrival

on this first day of Autumn.

—

You rise further still,

clloud now dimming your rays,

as coolness sweeps over this spectacular landscape,

and cyclists roll by on the road below.

—

And as my time here draws to a close,

I take one last look,

seeing you fully concealed –

clouds taking you hostage,

yet your light –

as always –

still shines through.

—

Farewell, Ash-Shams.

May this day bring goodness for us both.

---

* “Ash-Shams” means ‘the Sun’ in Arabic.

---