AS WE  CROSS THE  MOUNTAIN, WE CAN  WALK 
 ONLY AT  NIGHT. LONG  AGO,  SOMEONE HERE 
 MUST'VE ANGERED  THE SUN, AND  TODAY  IT 
 STILL  BURNS US STRANGELY. BUT  WITH THE 
 SUNSET THE AIR COMES  RAINING  BACK DOWN 
 AND  GETS  THICK ENOUGH TO  BREATHE.  IT 
 CARRIES  WITH  IT  SMELLS FROM FAR AWAY, 
 COLOURFUL SPARKS FOR THE  IMAGINATION, A 
 SHARP CONTRAST FOR  THE  STALE BLACK  OF 
 THE NIGHT.                               
                                          
 THE OTHERS THINK  I'M YOUNG, THEY  DON'T 
 TAKE  ME  SERIOUSLY  AND  I   FEAR  THEY 
 SNICKER  A  BIT.  YOU  USUALLY  GET  OLD 
 BEFORE YOU  LEARN THE  TRADE  ENOUGH  TO 
 TAKE OTHER  PEOPLE. BUT I  DO LEAD  THEM 
 SAFELY     FORWARD,     EVERY     NIGHT. 
                                          
 HOWEVER,  CURRENTLY  THERE  SEEMS TO  BE 
 SOMETHING GOING ON  AHEAD.  THOSE AROUND 
 THE  CORNER   HAVE   STOPPED,  SHOUTING, 
 POINTING.                                
                                          
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                           
                                          
 MY GREATEST TREASURE, THE                
 BOOK OF STARS,   IS   A   COMBINED  MAP, 
 CALENDAR  AND  TIMEPIECE  AS LONG AS YOU 
 KNOW  WHAT YEAR IT IS.  EVERY  PAGE IS A 
 GRID  OF  NINE  STARFIELDS, HAND  DRAWN, 
 BELOW WHICH ARE WRITTEN  COORDINATES  IN 
 BOTH SPACE  AND  TIME.  A LOT OF  IT  IS 
 APPLICABLE  ON  EARTH, BUT NOT  ALL.  IT 
 HINTS  OF  OTHER  PLACES  -  SOME  STARS 
 REORDERED,   SOME  NAMES  I  HAVE  NEVER 
 HEARD.    SOMETIMES   THE    DATES   ARE 
 IMPOSSIBLE.                              
                                          
 THOSE PAGES ARE  EXACTLY WHAT I SCRAMBLE 
 FOR  RIGHT NOW.  I'VE STOPPED BREATHING. 
 I SLING  OPEN  THE BOOK  OF STARS  A BIT 
 TOO QUICK, SPILLING ALL MY NOTES  ON THE 
 GROUND. ONE  LANDS ON MY  FOOT, IT  IS A 
 DRAWING OF  A  MUSCLE COW,  BUT I  COULD 
 CARE LESS RIGHT NOW.                     
                                          
 FOR IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S  A NEW MOON IN 
 THE SKY.