Night Reflections.

from my journal... written by candlelight on the stoop outside my room...

The stars are brilliant tonight with the power off. The night is cool and soft, banana plants rustling in the same wind which threatens to extinguish my candle. The buzz of insects fills my ears, and the rumble of vehicles heading north toward Sudan. I am surprised by the quiet; perhaps it is early yet for the music from town, but surely it will come later.

I know that some people feel overwhelmed by such a full sky of stars. Truly, it is not something we see often in the US. Some would say such an expanse makes them feel small, inconsequential. I am not one of those people. The night sky comforts me, somehow reminding me that I am not alone in this gigantic universe. These days, darkness often brings loneliness, and I fear the onslaught of my dreams. But stars, or the moon, when it shines - they provide solace and comfort, even as I long for the presence of those that I love most dearly.

Sometimes, I contemplate bringing a matt out here and sleeping under the stars. I wonder if I could rig my mosquito net among the bananas?