Goodbyes Are like Sunsets

A poem for farewells

Aabye-Gayle F.
1 min readMay 23, 2023
Cloudy sunset at a Caribbean beach
Sunset on Grand Anse Beach (Photo by author)

Goodbyes are like sunsets —

A spectrum of senses and sentiments.

Some are unassuming;

We don’t pay them much mind.

Without great ceremony,

They move us from daylight to nighttime.

We don’t photograph them or make many remarks.

We simply allow them to casually carry us to the dark.

Some sunsets make us stop or pause.

We must stand in awe of their swaths of color.

The sky becomes artwork, a masterpiece, a miracle.

We do our best to save the sight —

Or to memorize it with our mind’s eye.

Just as a sunset marks the end of day and beginning of night,

So, too, is there a change contained in every goodbye.

Some farewells are emotional;

Some are simply polite.

Some sunsets share muted colors;

Others emblazon the sky.

Goodbyes are like sunsets.

They are a passage of life.

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