If there is one thing that I resigned myself to living in Chicago it is this: I rarely get to see the stars. We live right in Chicago, the South Loop, to be specific, and I rarely see a star. But in the wee hours of the morning I looked out to see an old fried: Orion. He was making his way down Michigan Avenue as if he were looking for something, or someone. I was so excited to see him. Orion is the first constellation that I could locate on my own. I looked up at the sky and saw the three stars that make his belt, then I looked for the shoulders, and they there were! It was Orion, my first constellation. He’s still my favorite constellation. When I look up into the night sky, I look for him first. See if he’s out. I was very disappointed at the women’s retreat I went on this summer. The last night a group of us sat around the fire, making s’mores, talking, and having a great time. It was one of those times. One of those rare windows where possiblity crackles around you and you know, with these women in my life, anything is possible. I was drinking in the night sky. I don’t get to see that many stars often, so I drink it in when I do. But my beloved didn’t show up. He must have been rising later that night.

Nope I don’t see stars much anymore. Every once in a while I’ll catch two or three hanging out, their pulses breaking through all the ambient light and pollution. But tonight I looked out of my window before going to bed, and there he was. I swear he waved. Since I’ve started typing this clouds have moved and cloaked him. That’s okay. I feel the chill in the air, and I feel the wildness in the air. A storm is coming. Who knows what battles will be fought beyond the clouds tonight with all those warriors and heroes living there? Orion is cloaked and waiting, an arrow notched in his bow. I’m sure I’ll hear the battle later on tonight.

And I am very glad that I caught a glimpse of my friend, Orion, dancing right outside my window before the wind and storm take him into battle.