Have you ever sat on the shores of a calm lake at night and stared up at the stars? It’s like staring into an endless void, a timeless place of stars and space. I enjoy staring at the stars sometimes, to stare up at them and to sit on the shores. Sitting on a boat in the center of the calm lake with the night sky reflected above and below its like sitting in the middle of space. On a calm night when the stars are clear my mind tends to wander, the cool feeling of the night air as the sky is clear. It’s a timeless void and a great thing to watch reflectively the way the stars light up the night and the cool light of the moon makes everything seem calmer, quieter. Even in an open field as long as the light of the stars is above everything seems peaceful and calm, I can feel truly happy for a short time. The masks of the day all fall away in that cool calm time. Night is a decent time to reflect, to pause and stare up at the sky. Some feel insignificant while staring at the face of the universe, I wonder why. Is it because of the vast emptiness of it all? The depths and hugeness making them seem like a tiny bug on a huge ball, unnoticeable and unseen? Or perhaps they feel a longing deep inside to be part of that great unknown void out there. Out there stars twinkle, planets revolve, suns rise and set, moons as well. It’s simply amazing to imagine just being a part of that, even if I am just a speck on a rock hurtling through space. At least you are part of the great unknown and no one can take that from you. Sitting in the dark and staring at the calm sky I feel as though I can do anything, be anyone. Dreams seem possible, hope rises and sadness vanishes. Perhaps I feel that way because I prefer to be alone and out there, staring into the face of the void, is where one can feel truly alone. But that’s not a bad thing no, sometimes to feel connected to something, one has to be alone. It is a beautiful night tonight and the stars are bright. Let wide eyes see what no man can comprehend and let the cool embrace of the moon fall on me as the night air creates a blanket of gentle breezes and the crickets sing a chorus unto the night.
~Nyota Mwuaji~