Starlight is real

I once cursed the night sky,

Angry that its starlit radiance

Was nothing but the ghosts

Of stars long extinguished.

How could I believe that true vibrancy

Still existed in the world

When this revered source of light

Was a grand illusion?

Now, I realize that lightness

Does not solely belong to the stars

Nor does it belong to the present.

It belongs to moments,

It sparkles in the water of a flower vase beside my bed—a present to myself.

It blazes in my friends’ tears as they fight their minds to reclaim their lives.

It shines in the quiet moments of life when Earth takes a moment to breathe.

It softly illuminates my mind as I recall cherished memories past.

And perhaps one day, as I meet my reflection’s gaze,

I will even see it twinkling

In the shadows of my own eyes.

So now, I thank the stars.

For they taught me

That lightness shines brightest

When I choose to believe in it.