Stars are totally beyond our control. What I do or do not do with stars I don’t have to feel responsible or guilty. Politics, climate, 42 million people not getting SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), wars, my latest aches and pains – just not of interest to stars.
The accompanying photo of mine is not quite what is happening in the poem but it is evocative of the experience.
Stars In Our Eyes
Our big windows face east
into a little valley. Beyond
is the rise of Sutro and Twin Peaks.
Running along the slopes
are contour lines of houses
facing west, the ocean
and sunset. Sometimes
rays catch and flare
one perfectly angled window.
The full force hurts my eyes
as I sit at my table.
In that living room
across the valley, do they know
they are blazing up?
Do they flame
with star brilliance?
Do we realize when we are
in a zenith of history
or inflection point
in our lives?
Are we stunned by the radiance?
Or is it the same as every other sunset?
Which is to say, gorgeous.
photo by Heather Saunders Estes
Heather Saunders Estes 