sitting on the lanai as the sun begins its downward arc, feeling in command of my life. time oozes like mānoa honey. the sun is cradled by clouds of freshly shorn wool, pierced with streaks of spun gold. its daily descent, minute and breathtaking. in a matter of moments, the heavens are ablaze, lit from beneath, harkening to another world. as the glowing yolk drops into the ocean, my eyes are bathed in a gradient of powder pinks, softening to lavender. the sky gathers every shade of colour, periwinkle haze dissolves into inky midnight blue. in coming here, i’ve given myself the gift of time. i am suffused with peace, soaking up every last drop.
wet season sunset patrol
Valerie Wong
About the author
Valerie Wong (aka @theglutenfreepoet on Instagram) was born in Toronto, Canada, raised in Hong Kong, and is currently a management consultant in New York. As a Third Culture Kid, she is a local and a foreigner wherever she goes. Her poetry has been published by journals around the world, including Stanford University’s Mantis, the League of Canadian Poets’ Poetry Pause, and New Zealand’s Blackmail Press. She is currently editing her first novel.