One illumination hides another

This morning,
one hour before the official sunrise,
it was as dark as I can imagine it being.
Still, I could see,
though just barely.
The sky was clear, without clouds or fog,
and stars were visible in the rich, deep blue
when I looked,
outside of myself.
Seemingly, all of a sudden, I realized that there was a bit more light off in the distance,
and so decided to raise my eyes and head.
As I did, I noticed that there was also more light there,
above me,
and realized that the small lights that were just there had seemed to vanish.
Suddenly, it dawned on me that something must be lost to be gained,
and that perhaps my feelings about the world were true after all;
that it truly is finite.