I exist in the split-second

the sun sinks behind the horizon

May be sunset, may be sunrise, may be the perfect in-between (picture by author)

I exist in the split-second
the sun sinks behind the horizon.
Except –
this time of year,
it never sets at all.

And so I find my place
in a non-existent moment
of timelessness.
The moment your eyes find mine
as they reflect the colors of the sky.

I always said: pictures don’t do this place any justice.

You saw me in plain sight.
Under the light of a sun that never wanted to set.
As if it wanted us to have one more minute.

But as it stretched endlessly,
it mingled the days,
and as the clock sprinted forward,
I lost you between mountains and waterfalls,
amidst the roaring water and the sleeping land.

And just like that, the sun sat again.
And just like that, the nights came back.
Slowly. Deliberately. Bringing back the comfort of the dark.

I go back to my hiding spot.
and while I watch you disappear from afar,
I wonder why I didn’t dare take that one snapshot.
That one perfect picture
of those fading blue eyes.

Iceland, June 2023