avatarErika Burkhalter

Summary

The web content describes the author's experience of the "Golden Hour" in Oslo, Norway, where the unique lighting conditions create a magical atmosphere that goes unnoticed by the city's inhabitants who are preoccupied with their phones.

Abstract

The article captures a moment in Oslo, Norway, during the "Golden Hour," a time when the sunlight casts a golden hue over the city. The author, Erika Burkhalter, shares a personal reflection on how this natural phenomenon transforms the urban environment, filling shadows with light and bringing a sense of hope and magic. Despite the beauty of this spectacle, the author observes that most people, engrossed in their cell phones, fail to appreciate the light show nature provides. A poignant moment occurs when a young girl tries to draw her mother's attention to the spectacle, and the mother's realization of the surrounding beauty underscores the author's message about the importance of being present and mindful of our surroundings. The article concludes with an invitation to listen to a poetic recording of the experience, emphasizing the auditory aspect of poetry, and suggests other related works for those who enjoyed the piece.

Opinions

  • The author expresses a sense of wonder and delight at the transformation of the city during the "Golden Hour."
  • There is a
Oslo, Norway, during the “Golden Hour.” Photo ©Erika Burkhalter.

The Hour of Golden Things

Why was no one looking?

Stepping from the curb, I was blinded for a moment by a stray ray of sunshine slanting long between steel towers.

The hour of golden things had crept in and sent the light bouncing off of faces of glass and into the crevices and shadows.

It filled the dark places, illuminating spaces, tracing hope onto faces of those homeless ones, hunkered in the darkness.

I stood frozen in place, a tickle of a smile on my face.

Why was no one looking?

All around me, people jostled and talked — like that schizophrenic in the train station — to no one whom I could hear, their cell phones clutched tightly to their ears.

And then I saw her, someone’s daughter, a child of three or four, imploring her mother to slow down for a moment and watch the magic show unfold.

The mother, holding her child’s hand tightly in her own, frowned, then looked around.

And I could see that moment of delight, when true sight struck her as well.

All around us, the city glowed.

You never know what you might see in the golden hour.

But you really ought to look.

Oslo, from the train. Photo ©Erika Burkhalter.

Thank you for experiencing this “Urban Moment” with me. This past summer, when visiting Oslo, I was caught in the “Golden Hour,” which, at that time of year was around 11 p.m.. I stepped off of the train and out into a magical world of light and color. I wondered, though, at the city dwellers, who walk the same route each night, their attention captured by their phones, who miss nature’s light show time and again.

I believe that to truly understand a poem, it needs to be heard. To hear the rhythm, the cadence, the emphasis, please listen to my recording of “The Hour of Golden Things.”

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Erika Burkhalter is a yogi, cat-mom, photographer, and lover of travel and nature, spreading her amazement for Mother Earth’s glories, one photo, poem or story at a time. (MS Neuropsychology, MA Yoga Studies).

Poem and photos Erika Burkhalter 2019. All rights reserved.

Photography
Poetry
Spirituality
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