III.

Sirius sparkles at 4 a.m.
  A bouquet of warblers
    trill hello, their dark      
      against dark until,

with time, wide stripes  
  of pink and blue appear—    
    thin clouds amid tree       
      lines tinged pink.

Sirius, of an older wisdom  
  than we, shines behind, and    
    I ground myself in Earth’s      
      consciousness. Her

ancient wisdom speaks,  
  Be still, listen, and,    
    if only for this moment,      
      I know all I need to know.