That Night; We Chased Stars

sometimes stars get lost

and all the blank darkness of space

becomes twisted and rolls

into a face painted with moonlight

and the flaming ball of gas

flees the confusion, blinking

why, please, what

is this

the place

I'm supposed to be

is this

sometimes

children who have only learned

to say why

and are working on the rest

capture the lost stars

and race back

to their sleepy mothers

shaking the glowing jars

yelling, look mama! Fire

flies

Do you remember, Rebecca? The family reunion, and the old playhouse at Aunt Rowena's, when we found old jars, filled them with lightning bugs, and lined them up on the cobwebbed shelves? It was dark, and all we could see was the sparkle of their lights, and the moon through the cracked windowpane. You said it was magical.