One Lantern Under Cedars

For a cedar forest after sunset, where a single light burns at a small shrine. An owl watches from a cedar branch, and when you take the hand lantern left at the shrine, it only turns its head a little and says nothing. A wire-strung harp sets down a stepwise melody while a low wooden flute and viola leave darkness between the phrases. Open fifths in E minor suggest the height of the cedars, and the second cycle thins toward a quiet coda. The weight of the light in your hand is where the way home begins.