I Walk In A Starry Void

(---translated from Luo Ying's series about his trek to the South Pole) Under the blue sky, the ice-sheet is undisturbed; it stretches beneath me like the night firmament with thousands of stars twinkling ceaselessly. Spotless snow becomes a white heaven of sorts where celestial bodies twinkle around my feet. Each time I tread on those starry sparkles they give off a surprised crunch, as smaller stars watch from their respective distances, in an expanse more quiet than the sky over mountains. Lights in this sky of snow pack sparkle at all hours, and I imagine them offsetting the world's excess darkness. These snowy stars reflect the circling sun in unison; one can almost hear them singing in a choir. There must be grounds for joy in what happens here, because their sparkles are so bright and assured. 2009-12-25,19: 28