Stars
Abigail Rudolph
Ever since I was little
I’ve been fascinated by the stars
I could rattle off the origins of the names of the dippers, Orion, Cassiopeia, and a dozen more
All while staring wide-eyed at the sky
I remember sitting with my aunt
Pouring over book
after book
Learning everything I could about these stellar luminaries
Sometimes, I do this thing
where I imagine myself alone
Surrounded by nothing except stars
I find it comforting to be surrounded
By their celestial beauty
I like to think of heaven as the night sky
Not the one you see in the city or the suburbs,
but the one you can see if you go far enough outside where no light can interrupt its astral dance
I like to think we become stars when we die
When I’m outside during the night,
I swear the stars don’t look as bright
In my memories,
the night sky was more beautiful when I was young
Now there are too many lights
Their glare frowns out even the brightest of planets
It’s impossible to distinguish the shimmering orbs from towers and planes
As they are dimmed by everything below
If I want to gaze upon the twilight and its glimmering gifts
I have to recall my childhood’s sky
I wonder if
I’ll ever see the stars again
Abigail Rudolph is sixteen years old and attends Southeast High School.