It was one of those Tucson sunsets that should stop traffic.
Instead, it just slowed it down.

I was crawling along in the usual rush hour mess
when I saw him — a boy with a pack,
walking the opposite direction of everyone else.

He looked up.
Paused.
Then turned away from the city
and headed into the foothills,
toward the sky that was bleeding gold across the mountains.

He wasn’t on his phone.
He wasn’t rushing to make a meeting.
He was just there.
Present.
And then… gone, swallowed up by that burning horizon.

I couldn’t take a picture —
but maybe this song is better.

“Orange and Red and Gold” is my snapshot.
A musical photograph of a boy, a sky,
and a fleeting moment of magic
that reminded me to look up,
breathe deep,
and write it all down.
Enjoy,
Rusty

Lyrics:
[Verse 1]
As the sun goes down in Tucson
The sky will burn with orange and red and gold
A boy sets out to walk into the foothills
[Refrain]
As his eyes reflect the orange, the red and gold
[musical signature]
[Verse 2]
As the sun sets low in Tucson
Cars are filling up the open road
Tail lights flash and crawl into the traffic
[Refrain]
As the sky burns bright with orange, red and gold
[musical signature]
[Bridge]
And all the cars that pour out of the city
Are painted by the sunset’s glow tonight
And all the while it seems such a pity
That the boy’s the only one to see the sky
[Refrain]
As the sunset burns with orange and red and gold
[instrumental]
The sun sets down in Tucson
Inflame the sky with orange and red and gold
[Outro]
Yes, the Tucson sky burns orange and red and gold
Yes, the Tucson sky burns orange and red and gold