Sunset Through the Mirror

Sarah tapped her thumbs to the beat of the song on the radio as she gripped the steering wheel in front of her. Her work day had been long and she was looking forward to the welcoming embrace that her small home had to offer. She was tired but relaxed, and her mind was clear. She took in her surroundings. As she made her way, she began to watch the sky shift colors. The sun lowered itself and dipped into the colors of the night. The sky watered the sun into a washboard of light. Sarah wondered if the sunset knew how beautiful it was. She snuck a glance in the rear view mirror. Everyone always talks about how magnificent sunsets are, but what does the sunset see? She studied the landscape behind her through her mirror. The long empty road and the flat drab landscape seemed so dull compared to the mold of colors in front of her. Does the sunset get bashful with everyone always starting at it? Or maybe the sunset likes the attention? What about on the days that it rains? Perhaps it acts like humans who hide away in their houses when they’re not in the mood to speak. Sarah continued driving toward the sunset but looked again in the mirror at what she was leaving behind. She thought that maybe the sunset did not understand why all eyes were always locked on it. Was the sunset possibly jealous of the landscape? It was plain, but it was beautiful in its own way. The green grass stretching on for miles and the open fields reminded Sarah of when she was young. It was similar to a spiderweb, the kind of beauty that you had to stare at for a while. The landscape did not have to worry about rising and falling twice a day. Sarah felt suddenly sorry for the sunset. The sunset, unable to appreciate itself, works tirelessly to make its audience consistently happy and satisfied. Sarah sat with her hands on the steering wheel.

She decided that landscapes were worth more of her attention.