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.