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Falling Stars

 

Falling Stars

 

 

At my auntie’s summer cottage

When the moon was black

The purple sky blazed with stars.

Star-gazing was a ritual.

‘Look!’ cried my aunt one night as we lay

On the cool stones by the lazy water,

‘There’s a falling star! And another!’

She gasped like a child in delight,

Pressing her fingers to her throat.

‘We must make a wish.’

 

‘Oh,’ I remarked smoothly,

‘Those aren’t stars at all.

They’re just huge chunks of space rock

Sizzling  through Earth’s atmosphere.’

There was a tight silence.

Then she turned on me abruptly:

‘I said it was a falling star!’

She snapped fiercely

With her lips pinched grey

And her hostile eyes glittering.

 

‘Yes,’ I answered at once,

‘And I’m going to make a wish too.’

I reached out and clasped her

Reluctant fingers in mine.

‘Let’s make our wishes together.’

We turned back to the brilliant sky:

‘Wish I may - wish I might -

Get the wish I wish tonight.’

I heard her whispering beside me,

But I had spoiled the moment.

 

Cynthia Buell Thomas

CBT

 

 

◄ The Painting (in irrational subjective style)

Six-fifteen on a Rainy Evening ►

Comments

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Jon

Wed 24th Feb 2016 07:01

Beautiful...we have to look up Stars for a poetry morning. This is touching and beautiful.

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Ann Foxglove

Tue 24th Nov 2009 13:17

How honest! And there are so many stars up there that some of them must fall down sometimes don't you think? ;-)

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Nichola Burrows

Wed 7th Oct 2009 10:28

Really enjoyed this Cynthia, the word 'brilliant' comes to mind. How often we ruin those moments that would have been so precious. Beautifully done, through the simple questioning of a child ( I hope I have read this correct ), you also highlight the nature of humanities struggle between faith and belief, and the questioning of that faith and belief through knowledge and science. The realisation dawns (too late), in the final stanza, that sometimes it is good to have faith and believe, many of us tend to lose that quality as we grow older. Maybe this should be a warning to all of us.

Nicky x

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