The Little Dipper

January 15th 2023

One night in January, I drove out to your favorite spot on the lake. It took me eighteen minutes instead of twelve for my heart felt lethargic. It had snowed quite a bit, but the clouds cleared and the moon was full.

I walked for a few moments through a large powdery mound, which promptly filled my boots. No one had walked there before me. I had worn crew socks, polyester, and they quickly froze along my ankle bone. It was dark and the only light was that of the moon and a row of houses, which reflected dully on the snow crossing the lake.

I heard a motorcycle in the distance. It made me frown. The trees stood tall on the shoreline, full of perseverance, except for a young one, whose branches hung low, heavy and overpowered. Seven bright stars watched over me. 

“If anyone would understand loneliness, the moon would.”

~Delia Owens in Where the Crawdads Sing