By the Full Moon

it has now been three nights since the full moon, since karlei and i had our great moon-lit adventure. since the trees glowed in the dim light and we watched the sun sink behind the clouds from nevada falls. three nights since the mist fell over the trees and deer walked on their hind legs.
three nights ago we hiked up half-dome.
we watched the sunset as we hiked and felt the beauty that surrounded us. from a beak setting over a waterfall, nevada falls, we watched the clouds change color and felt the vibrancy of the life all around us. of our life. of all that we were experiencing.
we began hiking again and the further up we went, the more engulfed we became in the beauty surrounding us. the setting sun placed a glow on everything that encircled us. the soft light created vibrant colors every direction we looked. we told stories of fairies and elves and the forest creatures that would hike with us, even though we are not significant. they would sense our presence long before we arrived and, in all their magnificence, they would decide we were worthy enough to be in their company. the deer would walk on their hind legs and the foxes and birds would lead us along the trail telling us stories of old. strange creatures we had never before dreamed of would come out of the depths of the woods, out of the bright green mosses and white branches and watch us as we walked past. we would be aware of them but not afraid. they were apart of the perfection and peace that surrounded the woods in which we walked. all was well.
as the sun sunk deeper into the west, the colors began to fade and the clouds began to form around us. we could feel the mist and electricity of the clouds in which we walked. the trees became shadows and all became silent. as our feet began to move slower, karlei told a story about a little boy and his mother who would collect the morning sun rays to give light to their village. the little boy with squeaky shoes.
before long we were out of the clouds and beneath the 'sky lilies' of the night. the sun was nothing more than a green tint along the western horizon and the moon a faint glow behind the clouds over the mountains. and our feet kept moving on.
we kept on keepin' on.
before long we were pulling on cables and gazing at the glory of the moon and the silhouettes of the mountains. our shadows were created by the moon and the moon was our guiding light. leading us up. we sat for hours on top of half-dome. on top of the world. thinking, enjoying, shivering, complaining about the cold, laughing.
finally we got so tired and cold that we decided to begin the decent. down. and down. with the moon shinning bright. fighting the desire to curl up on any half decent flat spot on trail to sleep. dreaming on trail. by the full moon.
as the evening became later, or morning began to arrive, the moon disappeared to give way to the rising sun. the first birds began to chirp. we were exhausted, but full of joy.
the setting sun, the full moon, and the morning birds. the beasts of the forest and the color of the trail.
a good night. by the full moon.