.png)
My little sister once said,
"The stars glitter so bright each day"
I turned to see her small hands
pointing towards the heavens.
We laid sprawled on the grass bed
listening to the rhythmic chirps of crickets
and the thump-thump of our heartbeats as we
marveled at the shimmering glories with glee.
Then we counted constellations one-by-one,
I remember her one and only favorite --
high above lied the North Star,
or Polaris, as some called it.
She named it the bright compass of the night
as it guided sailors and land dwellers alike
to the destination their heart desired,
a beacon of hope shining past fog and cloud.
I remember her smile as she told me
of her dream to catch a star,
to float in space among these orbs of gas,
and to discover the infinite world beyond.
And now, when I look at my child,
I am reminded of my sister's innocence.
My daughter once said,
"The moon must be lonely up there"
For the constellations disappeared from her side,
as did all the shimmering glories up high.
For the brightness in our cities have led to
dark, ink-swathed abyssal shrouded nights of new.
It's rare to find another who
remembers the beauty of the skies from before
the Earth was consumed in bright lights,
becoming "the planet that never sleeps".
Photographs of galaxies, stars, nebulae, and more
memorialized in museums as fossils.
Our greed for city-lights caused a new generation,
then the downfall of our Earth's environment.
Humanity, why don't we end this dance with light pollution?
About the author:
Tiffani Pe (she/her) is a 16 year old sophomore in high school who enjoys the creative aspects of life, such as creating art and playing music. She is an advocate for spreading awareness on mental health, environmental issues, and otherworldly dilemmas that require attention. In her works, she demonstrates thoughtfulness on such matters in an attempt to offer different perspectives on commonly stigmatized topics. One thing she wants to remind each reader is this: "We all do better when we work together. Our differences do matter, but our common humanity matters more."
The poem belongs to the author and the author only. Please don't copy it or take away the writing piece without crediting the author or without the author's knowledge. It's their original piece! There's a difference between being inspired and copying.
Cover page by Yifei Wang
Comments