Before the sun relinquishes the simulation to the stars and sleep, Hivelanders, she bleeds crimson, ultraviolet, and gold. To one who does not understand the cycle of planets and stars, a sunset, spectacular and glowing, could be felt as the pixellated and noisy defeat of day by night.

Rather than seeing the coming of something natural and absolutely unavoidable, he may see an evil thing. The loss of light and the arrival of darkness. Such a person is likely always on the lookout for evil, something he can set himself against and thereby come to experience a self who exists in opposition to what he is not. Opposition is the easiest way to differentiate and be known.

These days, it feels like just about everyone exists in opposition to something. Virtual entropic noise everywhere. In a sea of social media heat death, its hard to create a spark, never mind life-sustaining fusion. So whats a oppositional, ego-bound baby to do to still get attention without going full supernova? Take a cue from the sunset and paint yourself orange and blur out your flaws. Shine a spotlight on the imperfections of others. Yell a little louder about the evils in the dark and label more people boogeymen. Label your enemies. Try to get them cancelled if you can.

The mind has evolved to be on the lookout for danger, and so enemies and predators can always be found. Created even. There will never be a shortage of antagonists for those that need them in exist in opposition to. So the stories go.

It's an existence and regardless how tiring I may find it to focus on ... word to the wise ... you find it tiring too. ... forget about the sun aging you... it makes things interesting for those doing the fuming. However for those with a Taoist bent, we see the sunset as one of the greatest shows ever offered by the physical realm. Every night, atmosphere, light, and position create a moving painting never to be duplicated by the likes of any Van Gogh, Picasso, or Monet; mimicked by AI, augmented intelligence, or memester.

Find some good people to watch the show with and a gentle breeze; Heaven comes to Earth. To you. You don't need much else to know you exist. No opposition. Establish a domain where everyone wins.

Contrast becomes your backdrop and not your enemy.

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Words and Images are my own.

58 is published in 81, Poems from the Tao. 81 is available in paperback or digital through amazon and your local libraries and bookstores. Click on any title below to further explore and support my writing.