The Star

The Star 8-25-83

Sometimes I like to look at the stars and think.
One night I discovered a new star.
I never saw it before nor one like it.
It was bigger and brighter than any other star in the sky.
It seemed like I could reach out and touch it.
It gave me the chills.
I sat and admired my new star.
I don't know why but it looked like the star started to cry.
I watched it very carefully,
and after a few minutes it winked at me.
I winked back and said
"Hello star. Where did you come from?".
and as casual as jelly on toast in a child’s voice it said
"Well my friend, I came from the earth like you
but I had to leave for my new home up here
and I've been sitting here for about seven years
waiting for you to think of me
and notice me.
I didn't know if I should pinch myself
to see if I was dreaming
or to talk back
so I sat still
and after a moment of silence, the star said sadly.
" I have a new star moving next door to me pretty soon.
I just hope you don't take as long to notice her
as you took to notice me
because I missed you."
Just then I realized why the star was crying
and started to cry myself.
I'm sure there are more stars of mine out there
and everybody has at least one
but maybe didn't find it yet.
How about you?

Author's note: I had a dream that my grandmother was talking to me about dying and in my dream she was a star. As a kid, I recall looking up trying to see where heaven was after my brother was killed. Stars in the sky was about 6 months after the accident. I didn’t connect the two (the accident and the crying stars) until seven years later when my grandmother talked to me in the dream. Five days after that dream, the same number of points in a star, my grandmother died.