This isn't exceptionally good, as I spent perhaps five minutes writing it, and I doubt it'll ever surface IC.

On Rainbows

Brilliant colour and sparkling light
Form a graceful arc across the firmament.
It lightens the heart, enlivens the spirit
And then dissipates,
Leaving in its wake the memory of pleasure.
Flowers bloom, their variegated hues
Earthbound rainbows themselves,
Painted by the joyous spirits of nature
After their own fickle fancies,
And then die-
Seeding the earth for renewal
When winter’s grip on the world loosens.
Jewels glitter beguilingly,
Precious metals gleam
Captivatingly in tokens of affection or pride.
And yet all such things are
Tarnished by time,
Losing their lustre
To the march of years.
These things are not lovely
Because they are bright.
They are not beautiful
Because their colours are vivid and bold.
They please us because,
When we see them,
We remember that they will fade,
And in that fading
The echo of their beauty will remain
Stronger and more poignant
Than the pretty baubles themselves
Could ever be.
Their transience lends them grace
While their permanence
Their perpetual presence
Is lurid.
Vulgar.
Oppressive.
So give me the rainbow
But give me, too
The crash of the storm to chase it from the skies.
Give me the lush flora of the meadow,
But grant me also
The silence of winter to echo my own seasons.
Give me jewels, and sunsets, and all things lovely in this world,
And then, I pray you…


Take them the Nil away before we all go blind.