A Grammar Based on Necessity

The encounter, following some mysterious script, is startling and utterly unforgettable. I have been traveling alone on foot for several days, in a place where one day becomes the next without the cover of darkness. The only sound I hear is from my movement, my breathing, and the occasional sigh of the wind that trembles the arctic poppies. Alone in the deepest sense, I find myself atop a barren hill and am rewarded with an unobstructed view from every direction. There is no single vanishing point; I am at the very center of what is visible.

Tracing with my eyes the precise contact between heaven and earth, I reflect on the significance of my presence, beguiled by solemn beauty. What I do not see has passed unnoticed; what I yearn to see, I begin to imagine; and what I cannot imagine, I will encounter unexpectedly. At first it appears to be nothing more than a speck in the distance. Soon, it creates a focal point,