My reward for fitful sleeping arrived in a red robe. The moon's dimmed rusty orb floated fully eclipsed between the ginkgo tree branches. Then clouds engulfed the scene, and I headed back to bed.

More than 4,500 objects orbit Earth along with our moon, a fundamental alteration of the night sky. At the same time, satellites have saved lives from their earliest days. That cost-benefit equation could disrupt ancient connections.

How might the artificial streaks change our creative interpretations of what we see in the darkness? Humans have shaped stories from this magical tapestry -- hidden during the day, blooming at dusk -- for thousands of years.

Even now, observations from scientists and researchers aren't only answers themselves but also the foundations for other stories. Vincent van Gogh's famous depiction of a starry night represents an iota in an absolute cornucopia of interpretations: astounding, soothing, enigmatic.

One of my favorite contemporary artists translates the night sky into joyous, humble language while also scaling it to appropriate and awe-filled proportions. (If you're near Boston, his new show opens this week.)

Personally, I've thought a lot about a firefly story I helped shepherd into the world two years ago and the wonder those insects inspire in us a little closer to home as citizens of Earth.

So with all the chaos -- and dare I say...evil -- here on terra firma in recent weeks, grant yourself permission to breathe deep and lie down and look up as we are "straddling spring and summer / with her arches, tunnels, bridges."
 

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This newsletter was written on the traditional lands of the Piscataway and Nacotchtank.