Poem: The Stars

This poem was inspired by my brother, whose name was Elisha, but we called him by his middle name, which was “Gudger.”  Affectionately, he was known as “the Gudge.”

I wanted to write something that wasn’t gloomy, wasn’t weighed down by human violence and abuse.  I asked Gudger for inspiration, and so emerged the draft of this poem.  The last line is based on a phrase he was considering for his own novel, “Fly Envious Time.”   

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The Stars

the stars,

so rich in seeds that grow our minds.

we blossom because the universe

blossomed.  that vast great garden

nurtures our gaze.

in our hearts dwell the fierce burnings,

strong because of our wonder.

ancient the candles perch,

cradling our trust. 

in the gleam of our awe

they lift us, among ballets of galaxies,

the many peaks our dreams to refresh.

how lucky yet brief our eternal

bridge of sleep, chasing such ecstasies

beyond the envy of time.

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