THE MOON

I saw the moon tonight.  I was in the country, where the darkness is very thick and very alluring.  That kind of darkness as I imagine the ocean would feel – vast, terrifying, and beautiful.  It makes you feel alone and surrounded.  It is a formidable force in its own right, but in this cavernous night, all lights become glorified.  That was what the moon was – the center of attention, without trying.  It couldn’t help drawing attention.  It was the only thing that could withstand the dark.

I decided not to drive home the back way.  It would have meant less traffic, but part of me wanted the reassurance that sitting at a stoplight brings – the knowledge that there are other people, that every set of headlights represents at least one other human being.  Fear of the dark is paralyzing; fear of being alone is consuming.  Loneliness is the greatest torture.  In the country, in the darkness, the moon becomes a friend – an ally that promises that where there is light, there is life.  In the night, the moon is the promise that the sun will return.