Symphony of the Canyon
At Golden Hour
This canyon's sunset is shimmering hills, the air sprinkled with gold dust into the darkest shadows. The sinking sun is a mother hen, and her gentle warmth wraps itself around me.
Everything is blissful stillness.
Just below me, a creek whispers its steady melody. The absence of traffic is Nature’s bass line, so deep and intricate a thrum at the back of my head. An invisible hummingbird passes, lending the short, rising lilt of an otherwise hidden harmony. Chickadees and jays trill in the bushes, their rustling leaves like soft brushes of a snare drum in the canyon’s sundown symphony.
When the trail changes, I take it barefoot. The coarse pebbles send raw, nervy sensations up my spine and into my stomach. As I pause in the middle of the trail, a faint breeze caressing my cheek carrying the scent of pine and wildflowers. My eyes close, and for a moment, everything disappears. The orange glow of my eyelids become the backdrop to a daydream, and I see myself standing in a valley more perfect than any poet could ever describe. A familiar peace I know should be new washes over me, and I just stand there in a most musical silence.
In a second, the scene is gone. My eyes open and the last wink of the warm sun closes behind a distant hill. A primal sigh passes my lips when I watch the molten gold drain back into the horizon. Then a blue, velvety net lands fully over the canyon, and every step I take feels like winter approaches, one degree at a time. But as I trudge back up to my car, the peace I felt in the valley lingers. Icy velvet simply shatters as it hits my skin, failing to break the afterimages of my reverie.
About the Creator
Mackenzie Davis
“When you are describing a shape, or sound, or tint, don’t state the matter plainly, but put it in a hint. And learn to look at all things with a sort of mental squint.” Lewis Carroll
Find me elsewhere.
Copyright Mackenzie Davis.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
Comments (3)
A spectacular painting that will outlast temporal oils, pencil lead, and water colored art. Words that can be reconstituted at first contact with anyone’s eyes even after a thousand words. This is art.
Mackenzie I love your descriptive language that creates vivid imagery for the reader. I also love your use of personification when describing the landscape. You also do this beautiful job of playing on the senses of the reader as you take us through the journey of the scene you created. Overall this read created such a soothing sense of peace and tranquility for me! I really enjoyed it!
I love the picture you painted here! And now I miss walking barefoot!