vanessa can not stop looking up at the trees how many trees there are in this cold part of the world she is more used to lampposts lampposts so ubiquitous that they seem natural pillars simply pillars holding up the roof of the world and the light they give only the illumination of a night sky after all how often do people really look up and see what is there above them what is between the trudging earth and the heavy gray clouds the distant black sky .