"Orange 45" Inspired by Summerhaven:

Orange 45

I have a favorite shade of orange.

Have you ever been up before the sun

when the only indication of day

is a lighter hue on the east horizon

than the rest of the inky, star-filled sky?

Colors begin to announce the sun,

and the night thinks about retreating.

Momentary purple is the first

to soften the dark veil,

but it isn’t strong enough to change

darkness to light.

The victory over night is secured

when orange cuts through.

It’s a smooth, warm orange that reveals

the sun’s power over darkness

as it makes way for rays of light

to penetrate farther than the orange glow.

This orange is hope for a new day,

for all the dreams of night to become reality.


Before the pinks impinge on sky

they could never take from the dark night,

orange clears more of the horizon,

spreading like arms opening for an embrace.

If you’re lucky, clouds hold on to its glow,

reflecting the warm orange

as far as the rays of the imminent sun.

And then, in a blink, the orange is gone,

forced into shades of coral

because the pinks push their way onstage

without waiting for orange to take its bows.

But I know it was the strength of orange

that broke through the darkness

and brought a new day,

that started lightening the sky from

an impenetrable dark to a backdrop

that is light enough for me to color

any way I want to.

Orange extended the invitation

for me to take over, like the pinks.

The possibilities for my day are endless.

Thank you, orange.


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