[i][url=http://my.opera.com/DUBMASTER%20PhD/blog/2007/06/25/ledgends-of-sky-sun]Te Raa said to Te Marama[/url], ‘Let us go on our light-giving journeys together in the daylight,’but the moon replied,’That is not the proper time for me to go. It is at night that my radiance is needed.'[/i]

_______________________________

We lifted of the tarmac, I was exhausted and I could feel the sleep welling up in my eyes.

I woke suddenly, a fog surrounded us… so thick it was hard to tell if I was indeed awake.

My eyes strained to focus through the dreaminess, but slowly the sight before me became clear…

Suddenly the flame took hold, and we burst through the fog and into the fiery heavens.

The battle between Te Marama and Te Raa raged around us.

Te Marama was enraged, and bearing her full face she charged forward.

Te Raa was furious, and filled the sky with fire.

Meremere was the first to notice, she sat and glistened beside me in the evening sky. Together the two of us ran from the moon, towards the burning horizon.

Our chase was in vain, as Te Marama was chasing and Te Raa fled away.

We flew between them, not gaining, nor slipping away.

We hung between them for hours… the horizons being engulfed by the two giver of light as their battle raged onwards.

We flew onwards, the earth spinning slowly far below. The sunset constantly changing, but never moving.

My sleepiness had gone, I was caught in the perpetual battle between night and day.

Meremere was slowly joined by a crowd, twinkling and sparking in the half light of the eternal battle

As we started to dip in the sky, Te Marama was slowly catching…

She was in full swing now, with rainbows circling around her pure face.

He smile grew as Te Raa started to retreat…

and then the fog engulfed us again.

When we touched down on the tarmac again I was no longer sure…

had it really been two hours…

or had the scene through the fog simply been a dream?

___________________________

Either way, I know this was a once in a lifetime sight – a two hour sunset being chased across the sky by a full moon. I sat hovering motionless above the spinning earth high in the sky, with Venus sitting outside my window.

And as we started the drive home, I realised there was no way to capture this battle on camera.

While it could not be captured, I shall always have the memory of last nights magical show…

and so, tonight I have captured a small part of the memory for you to share.

Inspired by [url=http://blipfoto.com/view.php?id=63252&month=9&year=2007]Croz – Smoke[/url] whos image reminded me of Te Marama (and almost taunted me to add Te Maa). Also, thanks to my S1 who captured the inspiration for this shot last night by accident…!