I have always worshipped the dawn, particularly during the warmer months when you can leave the windows open and let the birds sound a tribute to Eos on her flying chariot, growing ever nearer, soon to break through the darkness. I hear cymbals and then light bursts through the kaleidoscope of dreams and they break into ice crystals and float into space past all those constellations named after Greek gods.
But I’m generally too lazy to get out of bed.
Sometimes I will try to return to my dreams but as the room grows lighter, they become merely memories sorted into the wrong bins. It’s a shame because often I have my clearest thoughts during that time. At least, I think they’re my clearest thoughts but then I’m not even 100% sure that I’m even awake. It’s a blissful feeling but not every writer has felt the same.
Philip Larkin, Aubade (lovers separating at dawn)
I work all day and get half-drunk at night,
In time I see what’s really always there,
Unresting death, a whole day nearer
Hey Death, can you take a rest already? This persistence of your’s is a pain in the butt. Let a guy get drunk at night and wake up without seeing your ugly puss.
Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet
It was the lark, the herald of the morn,
No nightingale; look, love, what envious streaks
Do lace the severing clouds in yonder east;
Night’s candles are burnt out and
day stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops.
Translation: Dawn, you’ve come to ruin my love life once again. Eventually cruel circumstance will force me back into the arms of fair Rosalind. Or perhaps I will opt for death instead.
Luckily musicians seem to have a different reaction to the thunderclap of Dawn. How about you – sunrise or sunset?
Saying nothing in particular 
I like both for different reasons. Dawn for the promise of a new day, and dusk for the peaceful end of a day well lived.
Bowie has called that moment of early morning ‘dawn chorus’ from the song ‘Cygnet Committee’.
“And as the sparrow sings
Dawn chorus for
Someone else to hear”
It is really the only thing I like about hot weather – the early morning cool at the break of dawn and the birds greeting the sun. (although they’re probably complaining about being hungry!)
Hey there. I don’t give dawn a lot of thought. I get up and go about my business. Sunsets, though, always have captivated me. Bye till next time!
Neil
I guess I like the dawn because my bedroom faces south and the sun comes up over the hills to the southeast during summer. Because of the coastal hills we can’t really see the old sun fall into the Pacific unless we drive the beaches. Too much of a chore.
Yep I’m a curtain back and off we go kind of guy. Dawn is just nature drawing back its curtains and deciding on the day ahead
A good way of thinking about it…..
Both, I guess. Maybe sunset a bit more.
I think most people do prefer the sunset – as it means the end to a workday. Having left the nine to five world I’ve come to appreciate the dawn more than I did before.
I work frexitime, often in the evening, so it’s not that. The dawn reminds me of my youth and sleepless nights. Sunsets bring tranquility and beautiful colors to my life.
I can understand that.
I love them both equally 💜 each has their merits. Love Donovan.
Dawn all the way for me 🙂
Dawn is all promise.
That’s a good thought to start a day with.
I’m a sunrise sort of person!
I would have thought so.
Hi Jan,
There is nothing like that first dawn when an alcoholic finally gets sober and they wake up as the light slowly comes into their room and instead of cursing the headache and rolling back over, they get out of bed and look directly into the light and for the first time in a long time they feel alive and well and they remember there really is something on the other side of night. What a great feeling that is! Thanks. Duke
Yes, there is that. Of course, not all sunrises are the same. The next morning the sun was hidden in the fog! Not quite the same feeling.
I prefer sunsets, which is unpopular, especially here, I see. I wake up with 1000 things to do. All my favorite things are done around and after sunset. It’s the time of day I can say, “Ah, the hard stuff is all behind me now.”
Oh I think it’s about equal. I have to admit once I pop out of bed all of my to-dos for the day start nagging at me. But sometimes – not always – there’s a moment when the sunlight bursts into the room and the birds are singing that I don’t think about a thing. In the summer that’s generally at 5:00 am. Which is why I have time to just enjoy the moment.
Fun to read your interpretations, Jan, of how others greet the dawn. Had me chuckling. I am a morning person, and find the dawn in so many different poses, always a joy. Fun post.
Yes it is interesting how we all greet the dawn. I don’t always wake up in time – especially in the summer – but I love it when I do and there’s not too much fog.
In general I prefer dawn to dusk because I feel more alert in the morning light than I do in the evening’s glow. That being said, a beautiful sunset seen whilst drinking an adult beverage can be a delight. Maybe the truth of the matter is that I like both dawn and dusk, but dislike high noon when there’s too much light? Yep, that’s my answer.
Yeah – I’m not a lover of the midday – it’s sort of like midlife when we stop to think about what we’ve accomplished so far and reassess what we will be able to accomplish.
I absolutely love both.
A well-balanced person!
Beautiful ode to the Sun 🙂 I like both when there are some clouds for the dramatic effect.
I can recall photos you’ve taken in the mists of morning that were very magical. It’s often momentary but there’s a magic spot which is a joy to catch.
Mornings and sunrises seem more magical to me. It could be because of my own mood, not because of the Sun 🙂 Thank you for remembering my pictures ❤
How interesting. We had the photo challenge on the subject of sunrise after you’d posted this. I see yours only now. Here is my no-doubt-about-it answer:
https://manjameximoving.wordpress.com/2019/08/02/friendly-friday-sunrise/