It's Full of Stars

Photo by over.hilowsee, used with attribution via cc license

Only two hours away from home and we are in a place of utter solitude: our friend's home in NH. She offered us the use of it for school vacation week and we were able to carve out a brief holiday.  While we are only here for 3 days, it feels like a lifetime away from our hectic existence of phone calls, emails, emergencies, errands, work, obligations, and petty annoyances.

I strive to stay in the moment and practice mindfulness, however, it is all to easy to get wound up in fear and frustration and lose one's center.

Yesterday, our first day here in what I think of as 'Rivendell,' we simply let ourselves be. We read books and napped, curled up with the dog, and drank tea.  We did nothing but soak in the silence and it was good.

In the deep night, we took Tigger out for a walk.  This is what emerged:

The sky is an inverted bowl of light. There is no moon, no
halogen glare or sodium lamp to burn away the good dark. Down
the lane, the spread fingers of trees let the icebright trickle through.

Beneath our boots, the shatter of fallen stars;
above our heads, an ancient carousel.

The dog shoves her nose in snow
gathered around the deep wells of trees.
She has no need for stars, or for the stars
to remind her how to breathe.

May you always remember how to breathe.