sunrise
It was dark, I hear people in the neighboring tent
in the campground snore.
I put on my head lamp
l remember clearly the last time I used it on my head.
It was exactly 11 years ago.
I tied the shoe laces of a pair of brown hiking shoes.
I used it to walk on a Pilgrimage for 30 days
from Pyrenees to Santiago.
There were no shortcuts like car or bus rides.
I remember waking up early before each day breaks
to avoid the scorching heat of the sun's rays
This time, I woke up even earlier
to hike the Green mountain now known as the
Cadillac mountain in the dark.
A mountain sacred to the Wabanaki people
also known as the "People of the Dawnland"
the natives lived in the area for more than 10,000 years.
They travelled using birch canoes, hunted, fished, and traded
They collected sweetgrass to weave baskets
gathered clams and harvested berries.
In the dark, I put all my trust on my headlight
the moonlight and my shoes
and with little help from my phone's gps
I climbed to the mountain's summit in the dark
Not without fear
in order to see what the native people see.
The first Light of the day.
first light
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