Orionids: Lake Poso

on the dock
in the dark
I stretch out long
let the robe of stars
fall over me in folds

without seeking
I find him
the Hunter
a midnight visitor
from the familiar north

here out over the black lake
he’s different
not just a belt and shoulders
his features finally fully come into view
and for the first time
his bow is plain
clutched in his left hand
aimed over the water

before I can settle in
he fires a long streak across the sky
bright enough a trail of light lingers

I wait what feels like a long time
but the sky stays still

thankful for being at the right place
at the right time
for that one volley
I stand to leave
get my bearings on the railingless dock
then search the sky one last time
but fail to find his form

wondering was it dreamwork
a trick of the watery air
I turn back to shore
and he greets me again

of course:
prone, I realize,
I craned my neck
and found him there behind me

everything’s just as it should be –
pure magic