The night sky has something to say to every observer; what are they asking? Do they imagine there is someone out there, or are they pretending to talk with the stars? On each day or night, the sky is unique it’s never the same image; what sky forms were presented to people of the past, or what would those of the future see? Expansive vistas are part of the Milky Way galaxy painted across the sky in a deep night, a night only hampered by the city’s lights. Without the distant hours, it could be the night that is anywhere. Just look deep into the night and let the stars take you away in the silence; maybe it could be called the void; there are sounds of voices, but there seems to be no music, but this depends on each individual; you have to create a piece of your own then perhaps you can see something or imagine it. There are voices not heard during the night, usually heard in nature. What is heard are the inner words that could be saying something. Sometimes a distant town is imagined with the light coming on during the early evening, the grayish-blue that veils the whole sky and land, taking away nothing. Each person sees the night in different ways, the night communicates in different ways, and whatever the night says, it is personal. If the night is in the city, things seem to merge into abstract patterns of artificial light, something that can impact design, create reflections of light on the dark waters, and give a sense of urgency, of calm when the road is deserted of cars and only lamps in the shape of globes lights a path. Anything is possible to imagine at night in the city. Maybe there is a lone figure walking on the sidewalk in a mythical story—a man traveling into the clouds to where there is an ocean where people live. Imagination is where the night speaks; on a moonlit night, there is a path along the hills with dome-shaped planetariums in the Art Deco style, the crowded stars of the galactic arm with great luminosity. Anything can be felt by imagining that planetarium where there is a slight greenish glow in the sky on a hot night. Even the gravel and smooth rocks impart a glow; there
Night imparts a feeling of something that isn’t there, the street light can be imagined giving off a melancholy feel, and such emotions are reinforced by a lone figure walking to an unknown destination. There are patterns of light everywhere, telling of an imaginary city that could be created into a story in a fictional time. An apartment window has a yellowish cast giving a mystery of the people who live there. Questions can be asked about what their lives are and what they are feeling. When a silhouetted figure comes to the window for a brief time when they are looking out a few distances, what are they thinking? What do they see? The cables suspending a distant bridge seem to be thrusting upward with lighted cords. They create patterns of power and yet a sense of being unobtrusive. To be alone is part of the night to contemplate everything that could be dreamed about; those dreams say anything can be created at night. Imagine if someone else is seeing our sun as one of the many stars of the Milky Way. The night has so much to say.
Looking out the window, there is such a fear of the almost black foliage of the trees. Only some street lamps illuminate that part of the park; the imagination starts to seed and sprout about something that isn’t there. A one-eyed monster was created in the dark foliage with one lamp, which became an eye watching, observing from a distance. Sometimes the night is dark, an ashen gray, and other times a bluish-deep dark gray. Yet there is the lonely illuminated building with a sense of loneliness without people walking around. It evokes a sense of nothingness. No matter what feelings the night imparts, it’s good to explore the night with human emotions.
Look to the night sky that is a written novel or poem; what is observed are living systems with their feelings and thoughts. Live in the night, and you will hear poetry spoken, and it can be written down and created with images that will tell many stories that say everything.
During the thousands of nights, many observers can see millions of poems written in the sky.
Let your feelings go, no preconceived feelings, orthodox views of the written word, dogma, or ancient writers. Observe as if there is innocence on the first night of the world.
When there is a night, find out what is out there, see something, perhaps a lamp in the distance that is speaking out. The thing between the contrast of darkness and light is the gray that brings so much visual power, so partially illuminated things not seen before, like the stark white branches and black ones of a tree in an empty place against a concrete wall. If the light or dark calls you from the distance echo back, you wish to see a gray tree in a corner that might be far away.
Robert J. Matsunaga
