Nautical Twilight, in the Lantern

This will be my post for February. Soon I will be out on the trail with dogs and students, for the rest of the month.  So long and fare thee well, everyone. Knock on wood, fingers crossed.

February 16, 2022

Forty-two degrees below zero.

I’m up in my morning lookout.

Out the west window

Castor and his brother Pollux

fade and descend.

Halfway through winter now, and

those two are the only stars I can see;

the rest all done in

by the high white disc of moon to the west

and the pale wash of dawn in the northeast.

Nautical twilight.

This morning my thoughts drift

again, and yet again

to a distant border I shall never see,

and the whims of yet another

mad tyrant

hell-bent on settling some old score.

Deep breaths.

Castor, Pollux, old buddies,

I want to join you, drop down below the ridge,

keep low, head down,

stay quiet,

hope,

and pray.