Starry Night Music Poem by Monica Scott Nichols

Staring up at the panoramic view of the universe from atop an unlit peak in rural Pennsylvania is akin to taking a front seat before the altar during a high mass. In the hours that the northern hemisphere politely moons the sun, I take advantage of one of the best seats on the planet for the faithful.

Gazing into what inspired van Gogh's famous celestial palette, my senses are awakened, as if summoned by music that tantalizes every cell, from head to toe, and inside out. If you believe, as I do, that we are all made of stardust, then you can understand the spiritual nature of star gazing.

A holy, human experience that gave rise to mythology and religion. I open myself up to the mystical, magical symphony composed by the constellations and let the night music play. An endeavor that celebrates wonder, nourishes my imagination, and unconsciously affirms who and why and what I am.