hearts in orbit // high above the earth // at the news of a signal from deep space // Because we’ve looked for a glimmer of meaning // in the night sky // for thousands of years // A sign // a flash // a string of lights intentionally hung across the heavens
But what to the stars // is a wish // from a human // when they reckon with infinity?
It’s a cruel dream // or maybe a tender lie // that these cosmic drops of fire and gas // who measure the years in billions // can somehow shape our lives // lives, that for them, are almost too short to measure
How many wishes have I made // on stars that are already dead?
To admit that it’s only you // and only me // out here in the dark // and that we’re free to share entire lives or even just afternoons // is daily more than we can bare
The only life we know // it’s here // along with anyone we’ve ever known // or read // or forgotten
What could be more beautiful // than something so fragile // as the world here on earth?