Tetley shoots out the door ahead of me, barking at shadows cast by streetlights and a waning Moon. Dark mornings extend my dream state as I move almost immediately from bed into the street with a coat thrown over my pajamas, a hood pulled over uncombed hair. Recently my breath is visible in the chill.
Last week Venus, Jupiter and Mars gathered each morning like a gossiping trio on the Eastern horizon, a bonus for my early ritual of searching the still-dark sky for the glow of planets, lingering stars, a sliver or a some part of the Moon. Seeing these wonders gets me thinking about being on planet Earth, part of an extraordinary balancing act and the thought simultaneously dizzies and centers me. Breathing, shivering in the cold of a dark morning, I feel intrinsically part of the magnificence – one of billions on this incredible, flawed place in the universe with other spinning planets and stars.
The night sky at morning gives me a bigger jolt than any cup of caffeine, setting the stage for my day – a glimpse of something bigger than myself before I get sucked into daily requirements.
We turned the clocks back last night. I’ll miss my mornings in the dark.
How do you feel about Daylight Saving Time?
This piece is poetry – thoughtful and beautifully written. I am fortunate in loving every seasonal phase New England offers. There is at least a hint of slowing down with the dark of daylight savings, and I LOVE cozy fires. i will not be quite as enthusiastic by February I know! Thank you for this lovely reflection! XXOO
This is lovely, and a whole new way of looking at the night sky in the morning. Such a great insight. I prefer my light at the end of a working day, because I’m an owl, not a lark. But I put up with this for the delight as the days begin to get longer just before Christmas.
I love dark mornings, too, especially for writing. I can think better when I feel like the day is still new!