In the midst of the moonlit night sky
Orange streaks offer a glimpse of the sun’s light
Their source concealed beyond the sea’s horizon
Where bluffs and precipices stand out strong in silhouettes
A few boats sail along in the distance
Giving way to imagination of the sailors’ sunset view
Perhaps it infinitely magnifies the scene viewed from the shore
Or perhaps it is already too beautiful to be magnified at all
Yet this thought cannot be true, for the clouds soon shift and change
The orange gives way to purple in a matter of seconds
And in the transition, if only for one frozen moment
The glorious array of color is enough to still a beating heart
To shock, astonish, and benumb a viewer
To convince a member of the shadowed world below
That there is no time to look up without being stupefied
In wonder of the sky’s beautiful nature
Reflected in the sea to create perfect symmetry
Clear above the horizon and blurred with ripples below it
For it only takes one glance at the moonlit night sky
And in an instant, you too will be left in wonder
--Zachary P., 9th-12th Grade