I watch as the sun sets, 

the beautiful descent of a once glorious noon,

falling down, down down, 

leaving in its wake, a bloody path of oranges, pinks, reds,

-a shade of orange reminiscent of a raging fire, 

A fire that destroyed a family’s home

Full of generations of memories and remnants of a life of love, 

such as worn board games from family game nights, a fridge stocked with vacation magnets, memories of childhood laughter, teenhood tears, and adulthood maturity-

All destroyed by the serendipitous meeting of a match and fuel;

an orange reminiscent to the color of vomit;

pink like the tint of a slightly infected wound,

tender to the touch;

a pink resembling spoiled meat,

which, when mistakenly eaten, 

sent the loved kindergarten teacher to an early grave;

red as vivid as the splash of blood gushing from a stab wound,

a stab wound that the poor victim mistakenly pulled the knife out of, sealing their fate;

red such as the color of a sign at an airport prohibiting the transportation of explosives, 

ignored by one wicked individual  

who caused the deaths of 548 ill-fated passengers,

never able to bid a forever farewell to their families;

vivid shades of color in the sky that are instead beholden with wonder;

hues that receive applause and Instagram posts instead of morose grief for all that they represent;

as the setting of the sun does not represent happiness and glory, but instead millennia of pain, 

as its routine occurrence was deemed a moment of joy by some ancient individual

who failed to check the facts before making such a proclamation,

enthralled by the allure of a few splashes of color

never acknowledging the negative impact on the sun

-such as tired retirement after a day of exhibition against his will-

like his anger at his constant display,

as 8.1 billion humans ogle and gawk, 

watching without ever pausing to consider how he felt, 

even though it is a very tangible possibility that the sunset represents loss, 

as it could very possibly be the voluntary plunge from sky’s peak to the solid horizon

-the impact causing him his life-

as it would not be unlike the situation of celebrities in today’s world:

individuals forced to perform as the world watches,

driven to excessively indulge in alcohol,

motivated to dabble in exotic drugs 

that numb the pain,

that allow for a smiling face to a crowd of screaming, obsessive teenagers,

that slowly weaken the heart, the liver, the mind,

that create a tolerance and withdrawal so potent that one never wishes to stop,

consequences that only cease with the individual, 

doomed as they were thrust into fame too early for their own good,

compelled to participate in and share reckless activities, and wild parties

which creates a vivid image of wild enjoyment and unbridled joy

-endlessly consumed by millions of fanatics from the safety of their couch- 

that fuel daydreams of adolescents as they wish it was them instead, 

as they broadcast the process of ruining themselves until they can’t recognize their reflection in a mirror

as fans watch as their beloved star crashes to their death, as they gleefully watch the fall of the sun;

and so it is unsurprising that the sunset deserves mourning instead of mocking applause-

bereavement as the fall of the sun is truly the escape of an exploited individual-

as he hopes that one day, he will be able to enter the world without the stares

as he considers the implications of a final goodbye to the world

-if anyone would care enough to mourn him,

if he would leave followed by an echo of applause- 

as he contemplates if today, anyone will interpret the path of pain he leaves behind,

a bloody trail of suffering, tears, and pain,

as he hopes that one individual would take the time to consider the hues he leaves behind as deeper than what meets the eye,

the vibrant shades that represent pain, not beauty

-the pain of exploitation, exile, and mocking-

as he dreams of the day that they will become aware that the sun’s descent is him giving up, 

as they realize that one day, he may not rise again.