Night Sky
I miss the vast night sky
of my youth:
a canopy of endless black silk,
pierced by the tiny beams
of a million stars.
When I was a child,
in the flat lands of Ohio farm country,
stargazing was as easy as breathing.
Spread a blanket over the dewy grass,
lie down, and look up.
In this rust belt city,
there are too many buildings and trees.
Garish, glaring city lights
drown the glow from the stars,
crowd out their soft sparkle,
render them invisible.
Stargazing does not exist in the city.
In my youth, stargazing calmed my spirit,
centered my soul, and gave me hope.
The symphony of the night
was a soothing serenade,
a soft mix of silence and sweet serenity.
I wish I could look at the stars with you again.
If I had a second chance,
I would linger there,
bask in the moment with you,
and resist the call
to come in from the night.
I love it, especially the last stanza. I also love the night sky and I'd point out the constellations and tell you their stories as they're old friends.
ReplyDeleteSo lovely, Connie. We are about 80 miles from Atlanta now and we are stunned by the darkness and night sky we now can enjoy. Wishing you a very good evening.
ReplyDeleteLovely poem! We can see the night and the stars here. Some of the parks hold star-gazing events.
ReplyDeleteThis beautiful Connie... I remember star gazing outside of the city when I was younger... luckily where I live there I can still see the stars but it's even better outside the city... I wish I had learned more about all the constellations xox
ReplyDeleteOh gosh, yes! I used to lie for hours outside looking up at the stars. It's hard to find darkness and silence like that anymore.
ReplyDeleteThere's something magical about stargazing. Beautifully written Connie.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. I miss those skies as well. Hope you enjoy your day.
ReplyDeleteSweet and magical. I like that you're talking to a loved one. Thank you for this gem, Connie.
ReplyDeleteSo nicely written and the words so true.
ReplyDeleteStargazing is such a lovely past-time, but you need clear skies!
All the best Jan
a very serene poem, yet filled with yearning. You painted a twinkly picture. Very nice
ReplyDeleteAnother beautiful visual provided by you. Especially the last part. Really love this. Ever since I have moved to mountain communities I can't believe how wonderful it is to see the night sky. Where I live there are no lights on and only a few cabins near me that might have a dim light on at night. I love going out to my deck especially in winter when the trees are covered with snow and the air is so cold but the sky seems even more twinkly. Each town we go up in altitude the sky is more beautiful - and Green Valley Lake is the one you could see the milky way easily at about 2000 or more feet higher then we are here.
ReplyDeleteI'm always glad to see another poem by you.
Oh how very true this is!! Even out here in the country where I live, there are so many night lights it isn't possible to see many stars, only planets mostly. So much has changed in our world.
ReplyDeleteI bet you do miss viewing the stars, Connie. I look out every night before I go to bed and say good night to the big dipper! We also have the northern lights here.
ReplyDeleteSounds to me like you and your honey need to take a blanket, and drive far outside the bright lights of the city to find yourself an open field. The same stars are still there for you to enjoy; you just have to work a little harder to see them. :)
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem!
Have a super weekend.
On this Labor Day weekend, your post has taken me pack to labor days past. About 100 people at family reunion camped all weekend and at night we all went out into the ball field and star gazed. It was an awesome experience to see millions of stars, unlike in the city. Thank you for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful memory. I have wondered what it would be like to view the stars in the desert or Rocky Mountains.
ReplyDeleteOh! So sweet. I miss star gazing. Gosh, we haven't done that since we moved out east. Since we left my mountains.
ReplyDeleteI love this beautiful poem. Yes, I also love to look at the stars. That's the last thing I do before going to bed. The night sky is awesome when you can see thousands of stars, and or the full moon.
ReplyDeleteThank you, everyone. I don't usually think of light as being a form of pollution, but when it comes to stargazing, the lights from cities and towns do "pollute" the night skies in a way. I appreciate all of your comments.
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