Let's Talk About Rainbows

 

Let’s talk about Rainbows,

those colorful bastards in

the sky, and why we love

them so very much.

How breathless they leave us

as we look up at them with awe.

 

To begin, it’s all about light.

Light that we perceive with

our super cool human eyes,

a rainbow is sunlight spread out

into its spectrum of colors and

diverted to the eye of the observer

by water droplets.

 

But the original source is sunlight,

coming from our near-by star,

a single source of light, broken up

into its components that our eyes

interpret as a rainbow.

All from that one light source drifting

ninety-three million miles away.

 

The building blocks of life,

sunlight and water,

working in union to create

disunion of photons into

their visible wave patterns,

or simply, their colors.

 

Each band of color is light

refracted and reflected from

different raindrops, viewed at

different angles.  

As a whole, it is a majestic miracle

of nature on display. One we accept

without remorse or judgment.

 

It is apt then, that the Rainbow

is the perfect symbol for us.

For human beings.

One being, from many parts, creating

something beautiful,

reminding us of ourselves, of humanity and

of our fragility and frailty.

 

We’re all rainbows really.

Just as colorful and diverse

as any skyward display.

Complex and simple,

joined in perception

without preconception.

 

Light and water,

painted with experience,

tinged with nostalgia,

raining together,

a showcase of what we can be;

incredible,

amazing,

gorgeous and awe inspiring.

 

If we want to be.  

 

 

 

 

Information on Rainbows: https://www.eo.ucar.edu/rainbows/