a cloudless night like this
black sky: undimmed
an atmosphere of
steadiness and clarity
the passing of time
marked by Orion’s rising
above a horizon
shaded with trees
dark shadows over
a quiet ground
I remain here: caught
between sky and earth
a bright light isolated
dark matter above
shadowy abyss below
floating
tethered to Orion’s belt
within a solace of space
for a cloudless night like this
can set the spirit soaring
Pamela Olson, 5/21/09
From the prompt at
“the opening line of
A Walk After Dark by
W.H. Auden”