I.
Star: noun. A fixed luminous point in the night sky which is a large, remote incandescent body like the sun.
II.
There were no birthday candles,
curled chips,
dandelions, wells,
eyelashes, or bones.
But a single star shot across the night sky.
III.
A star is just a sun,
but too far away to keep us warm.
IV.
On ancient faded sailors’ maps
dangerous waters,
trading cities,
marked with tiny perfect stars.
V.
Someone once said to find
the first star of the night
to make a wish.
But what happens when it’s cloudy?
VI.
Some stars are long since dead.
The light just hasn’t ceased shining
yet.
VII.
A starry black sky
reflects grains of sugar,
spilled across a kitchen counter.
VIII.
A shooting star isn’t shooting.
It’s burning up
and falling.
Nobody makes a wish for such
destruction.
IX.
A single star
imprisoned in
a frosted window pane
pretends not to eavesdrop.
X.
A fading star
at dawn’s edge
spreads rumours
of daylight.
XI.
Stars cry out
behind city lights,
desperate to be seen
and admired.
XII.
Things that can be mistaken for stars:
Street lamps
Planes
Satellites
Hope
XIII.
A million stars
reflected in the water’s surface,
making it impossible to tell
which
way
is
up.
XIV.
If a star falls
and there’s no one around
to see it,
does it still burn?
*****
“The idea and beginnings for this poem started at the end of high school for me, in my Writer’s Craft course, around this time last year. We had just studied the poem ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird’ by Wallace Stevens. It was a very confusing read, but I was inspired by what I could do with the idea behind it. I used a similar formatting and created my own meaning for it. Stars are one of the most majestic parts of God’s creation and it’s impossible not to feel overwhelmed by beauty standing under a blanket of inky night sky, scattered with them. I also wanted to make this poem to speak to a wide audience, so I wrote it as a brief series of perspectives to reflect how the meaning of a star shifts depending on who we are and how we look at something. So, for me, a star is a beautiful, inspiring representation of God’s creation. But it could also be the twinkle in someone’s eye, a wish, a marker on ‘ancient, faded sailors’ maps,’ or a simple dictionary definition. I didn’t want to go in-depth for each perspective, because I wanted to leave space for the audience to relate or connect with each piece differently than someone else might. I hope you enjoy it!” – Ariel
