[E-Magazine]: Sunset also seems to sing the song of the clouds

I once read in a book that said, “People only watch the sunset when they feel sad.” But even if the ending is sad, let’s make it a beautiful sadness.

Ever since I was a child, I have loved watching the sunset. At that time, the sun was no longer scorching hot, the sun was as red as a ball hanging on the bamboo tops at the end of the river. In the countryside, no one called it sunset. Only after studying far away did I feel it. For those who live far away from home, sunset has become a symbol of nostalgia, evoking memories of a distant childhood. And it is also a way for us to return to find peace.

Sometimes the sunset is like a circle of time, not only a symbol of the years, but also a metaphor for the flow of consciousness of each person. That flow brings me back to the village when the harvest season has ended. The whole field is immersed in the sunset. From afar, the sunset is ripe like a dream of the countryside, unclear in form, but full of flavor. The sunset is the whisper of the homeland, the echo of the distant seasons... Suddenly I remember two lines of poetry I wrote when I was very young: "The day of the blue sunset / the season of forgetting you on the grapefruit flower branch / March of that year is so long"... That was the day my best friend and I parted ways, tomorrow he will leave. When the last sunset light shows the stars in the sky, it is when the most secret things awaken, that is the part that the day cannot touch. And in that moment, the sunset suddenly becomes so blue... the blue of desire. The sunset in the countryside is not only the end of a day but also the beginning of a mysterious night. The moments of being immersed in the sunset often bring about emotions that are difficult to express. A little regret about the distance, or cherishing a beautiful memory that will never return. Because sunset is like youth, beautiful but short.

Watching the sunset moments on the fields, we understand that nature is truly a talented artist. In the distance is a cool, gentle green river embracing the long dike with rows of soft bamboo gently reflecting their shadows. In the vastness of the afternoon light falling, the sky is bright with red, orange, yellow and purple. The ferry carrying passengers is hesitant to cross the bridge but still echoes the lyrics of someone singing long ago: "At the beginning of the sunny season, I said I love you/ the sunset quickly embroidered a lotus flower in the afternoon/ at the end of the sunny season, I said I stopped loving/ the sunset whizzed by empty things"... What empty things are, only the river knows.

Sunset in the countryside is always so magical and wonderful. It is completely different from the sunset scene in the city full of vehicles and dust. I love the peaceful atmosphere of the countryside. I love the melodious sound of the kite flute and the herd of buffalo leisurely grazing. I love the white storks standing on the dike, bewilderedly watching the children dancing in the last sunlight of the day. I also love the innocent verses written for you on the day of new rice: "The flock of white storks along the dike/ busy watching the ripe rice fields/ the sunset is almost over/ not ready to go home yet, my storks!"

No one remembers exactly when the sunset appears. It’s just that in the late afternoon, we suddenly encounter the gentle sunlight. A wonderful picture appears right before our eyes. The most beautiful moment of the sunset is when the fragile golden rays of sunlight still linger, making the space more peaceful. At that time, my grandmother often said: “Shrimps go at dusk, fish go at dawn, you bring the net out in time!” In the evening light, the village children finished roasting rice bran and called each other to the lake to put away the net. The fragrant smell of rice bran mixed with the smell of sweat, the smell of braised fish from the village kitchens blended together to make the sunset full of flavor. Especially, on cold winter days, the last bit of effort of the sun is like a gift with a colorful performance. We suddenly felt warmer, although each of us only had a few patched shirts to wear over each other.

And I don't know since when, I like to watch the sunset alone. No one is around, but I don't feel lonely. As if someone has just left the garden, leaving footprints in the grass and a faint scent in the wind. Everything is flowing like a slow-motion film. Space has no boundaries. Colors don't need time. I am quietly immersed in the world of memories, closing my eyes to remember the blue raindrops imprinted on the glass window years ago... In that world , all the hustle and bustle has receded. Only the peace that continues, slowly, gently, like a gentle reminder: Live like leaves, like flowers, like nature to love everything... At that time, the sunset is a look of awareness. Like a witness in the middle of a cycle, like we ourselves are observing our lives passing by in countless roles.

If dawn brings purity and clarity, sunset brings indescribable splendor.

But each of us understands that sunsets are not always peaceful. To have a beautiful sunset, nature has to pay with many devastating storms, many terrible floods... and so do we. To have a beautiful sunset, sometimes we have to pay with a lot of determination and even tears. Behind beautiful things are often built on the foundation of fierce challenges.

I once read in a book that said, “People only watch the sunset when they feel sad.” But even if the ending is sad, turn it into a beautiful sadness. Then, the sunset, though quiet, is also beautiful in its own way, because the sunset is the connection between day and night, between darkness and light.

Content: Le Phuong Lien

Photo: Internet Document

Graphics: Mai Huyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/e-magazine-hoang-hon-nhu-cung-hat-dieu-van-vi-255922.htm