Afternoon Glow

This poem captures the serene beauty of late afternoon, focusing on the interplay of sunlight, colors, and nature. The poet opens with admiration for the sky: “God sprinkles colors that are pleasant to the eye,” showing a sense of wonder and gratitude for creation. The orange glow of the sun and the rainbow-like colors evoke a vivid, almost magical visual experience, emphasizing the richness and layering of nature’s palette.

The poet uses playful, tactile imagery—“you can almost taste the flavor through and through”—which makes the scene feel immersive and sensory, allowing the reader to almost experience the colors physically. The description of the colors as if “a bucket of paint were spilled and left to dry” gives a dynamic, artistic quality, showing nature as a living canvas.

As the poem progresses, it transitions from visual delight to peaceful reflection on the approaching evening. The bird returning to its nest, shadows shifting, and the sun drifting behind hills indicate the passage of time and the gentle rhythm of the natural world. The final lines—“putting it in my pocket to later borrow”—suggest a desire to hold onto the memory of beauty, keeping a personal treasure from nature to revisit in thought.

Key Themes

• Appreciation for natural beauty
• The magical interplay of light and color
• Peaceful observation of time passing
• Connection to the divine through nature
• Memory and reflection

Overall Meaning

This poem is a celebration of afternoon and evening beauty, blending vivid visual imagery with reflective, almost meditative qualities. It invites the reader to pause, observe, and cherish fleeting moments of natural wonder, while also suggesting that such experiences can be preserved in memory and heart.