The Rise and Fall

There’s something quite spiritual about watching the rise and fall of the Sun. The giant star which sustains our planet, coming and going as the day passes. Around 1.3 million planet Earths could fit inside the Sun; making this giant glowing mass of gas an almost unimaginable size. Each day, with the rise and fall, every life continues along its own unique timeline.

There have been some beautiful sunsets recently, and as I drove home the other evening, I found myself wondering what it is about the Sun’s appearance and disappearance which holds such allure. Sunrise and sunset are popular photography subjects. As well as the eye-catching colours, the natural light is softer than full daylight. It can be used to infuse images with subtle emotions. Hinting at shapes which the eye can’t quite make out, and creating poetry in a picture.

There’s also an element of marking time. As a species, we are very driven by watches and calendars. We plan ahead, make bookings, and imagine our future lives, and the futures of those around us. With each sunrise and set, we welcome or bid farewell to another day.

As the Sun dips beneath the horizon, so nighttime takes over. The temperature drops, and the landscape changes. When skies are clear, we may see constellations, other planets, the Moon. The sounds around us are more pronounced, their sources harder to identify. The brightest lights have artificial sources. Daytime dwellers sleep, even flowers close their faces against the darkness. Those who stay awake feel the hush. As though creating noise will stir something from within the night.

Though we may manage our days around diaries and clocks, the rise and fall of the Sun provides a rhythm to our lives. Part of the magic is that in witnessing sunrise and sunset, we know that the curtain to our own performance remains raised. Yesterday has been written, and today awaits. And so our story continues.

All the world’s a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.
As You Like It Act 2, scene 7, 139–143, William Shakespeare