It's that time of day when breezes calm, light softens, and birds go still. It's a gentle time. I go quiet at sunset, wishing the time could be shared. The outline of trees moves up the sides of houses that are bright toward their peaks and darker below. The early blooms of flowering trees and shrubs have their colors for a few more minutes. The moon appears above it all. I'm drawn gently into night. With warmer weather, I'll enjoy the sound of cadydids.
Some places I've been, this time of day is a cue for the spirit world. Parents bring their children indoors so the shadows of the evening don't fall on them. Shutters are closed - pulled flat against houses so if spirits are afoot, they can move unimpeded around the outside walls and be on their way. Clothes lines are placed parallel to houses, not perpendicular to them for the same reason. Prayers are said before or after, but not during this time of spiritual risk. After dark, the shutters open and the night is filled with outdoor voices.
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