The Geometry of Morning Light

An observation recorded in the first hours of the day.

In the first hour after sunrise the light enters at a low angle and draws long, precise rectangles across the floor. These shapes are not random; they are the direct result of the window’s proportions meeting the angle of the sun. As the minutes pass the rectangles lengthen and soften at the edges until they almost disappear into the general brightness of the room.

Watching this slow transformation is a simple way of being present without effort. The light does the work. One only has to notice that it is happening and that the room looks different now than it did twenty minutes earlier. No special equipment or location is required — only a window and the decision to look.