Hello, 4 a.m.

Well hello, 4 a.m. You're magic when I want to see you, and so unwelcome when I need sleep.

Last night I went to bed early and exhausted, as a full moon rose over a neighbor's house, so this time 4 a.m. feels luxurious and cool. I'm rested and marginally awake. Or, I'm fully awake, but in an altered state.

Whether 4 a.m. appears at the close of a late night out or at the early opening of a new day, it glows with stars and planets, the moon and street lights. Edges blur. Dogs sleep and cars won't lift off from their parking spaces for hours. Boundaries and practicalities aren't yet in place, so anything is possible. Dreams, from moments ago, feel as real as anything real, and wildest hopes seem not at all wild, but likely.