burst of clarity

i was walking down hopkins street with a box of takeout chinese food tonight. something was in the air, the cold of a winter night that you know portends warmer nights ahead rather than darker. the scent of wood-burning stoves and fireplaces triggered a brief flood of memory, and then i looked up at the stars as i passed the bus stop and my mind went completely clear for about two minutes. standing there, chinese food going cold, feeling absolutely connected to and part of the world at the deepest level of consciousness. i think i have spent most of my life courting those moments, yet it seems they arrive at times and places of their own choosing. (just like the US army). tonight, it was the corner of monterey and hopkins, near the bus bench opposite espresso roma, at around 8:50 pm.