He Wishes Upon The Evening Star
A small child sits upon a stump in the middle of the pasture
amid chirping crickets and glowing lightning bugs.
Looking up into the twilight,
a lone star twinkles, as if to say, “I am listening.”
He considers his words carefully, for such opportunities should not be wasted.
He knows he must finish this conversation before the other stars appear.
He recites a nursery rhyme.
“Star light, star bright…”
He wishes childlike: one word.
Happiness.
A young boy runs through the woods playing Hide and Seek,
laughter and voices echoing through the trees.
He steps into a clearing and looks up to the Heavens.
The first star hangs expectantly in the air.
He stands alone, outcast among the other children
as two by two, the couples dance.
He recites his mantra.
“Star light, star bright…”
He whispers two words as he is tagged “It”.
A soulmate.
A grown man walks through campus on his way home,
eerie silence blanketing him where there should be life.
Standing on the tracks, his soul heavy with loneliness,
his planet hangs steady and bright.
Doubts crawl through his mind.
He wants to share himself with somebody.
He boldly speaks his prayer.
“Star light, star bright…”
He speaks aloud three words,
Real True Love.
A broken man walks a long lonely walk.
His life is passing him by.
In an empty field, he drops to his knees and cries out
to a star that has never helped him.
A cathartic wail pierces the night.
He mumbles barely audible words.
“Star light, star bright…”
“I am still here, ” it says,
“I know what it is you would wish for -,
Peace.”
A new man breathes fresh air, seemingly for the first time.
He stands next to her and together they look
to the sky as they hold hands.
Neither can believe that this is real.
She goes inside while he tarries for a second
and begs forgiveness for falling into despair.
[...] Read more
poem by David Lawrence
Added by Poetry Lover
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