The Most Beautiful

by Natalie Morales

The creek foams
-white bubbles
like virgin petticoats-
as it trips over rocks
slowly spilling itself
through vermilion mountains.

The dead goldenrod tips of green bushes
wobble with the breeze,
and the jagged skyline builds
Miocene rock castles
barely visible through
the pines.

When the sun sets,
the stars peek out
from behind a piceous veil
winking through the chilled air.

It can take your breath away,
the amount of jewels
in the sky,
seemingly white
luminous spheres of plasma
outliving and outshining us with their stellar patience.

It can take your breath away,
the crisp-turned-cold air
that makes it difficult
but so delicious
to breathe
as the cicadas’ songs
vibrate through their tymbals
through the night
and through us.

It can all take your breath away.
Yet,
it is still
you
I find most beautiful.