Aurora
benjamin schultz
lying on the back of my truck, eyes faced to heaven,
the green lights dance in front of the canvas of stars.
head on tailgate, body in bag, face towards heaven
the crisp air around me—i’m really at the arctic circle
by a moving spring in october, the white puffy snow
topples the branches with heaviness,
stillness, so quiet your ears ring
the green and purple lights of the north dance
silently my eyes close to sleep,
the windless forest comforts the vehicle
into the frozen night and the chilling
lifeless coldness that surrounds my face
aurora borealis and the alaskan frontier,
beginning of winter,
i own this spot, and the snowflakes float
on into the deadly silent night, resting on my steaming face
tonight there is solace, tonight there is peace,
tonight, the troubles stir miles away
and the solitary sleep i fade into
holds me like a womb, motherly embrace of the night