Night- Poem

To be afraid of the night sky is an irrational fear.

Yes, perhaps for those with lit souls, an unlit sky will bring unease.

Their

wax hearts pumping blood.

Running through their veins,

Ambition,

Solace,

Peace.

 

Yet for a heart unlit,

barred by iron ores

and,

Chained with dread

An unlit sky brings comfort,

                                          Ease.

 

For to embrace the dark when you yourself have become unlit is to be expected.

The damaged hearts,

Ambition,

Solace,

Peace.

 

The strike of a clock.

A hollow ring.

12 am.

Time for the unlit.

The time for dead silence,

Inner chaos.

 

12 am,

The sky a

gentle blue (thoughts of what life could be.)

 

2 am,

A deep blue (inner chaos, regret, dread.)

 

A shooting star in the distance,

A wish ungranted.

Thousands of stars,

                                 A piece of history frozen, displayed.

Orion’s belt and Aquila’s wing.

Look to the stars.

Dream.

Take a sip from Aquarius’ cup.

Let Cassiopeia share with you her beauty.

 

Let Circinus guide you home.

Finally,

Pluck a feather from the wing of Apus.

For then,

 

                    Becomes the sky your inkpot,

                    And the stars your metaphor.  

 

__________________________________________________________________

Explanation:

The poem starts out with an emulation from Sarah Williams piece “The Old Astronomer To His Pupil.” I loved the unique name and the immediate imagery that it brought with it. The first thing that came to my mind was the contrast between the old man and his pupil, who I imagined to be just a child. I saw the child as being afraid of the dark and looking to the experienced astronomer for some comfort, and thus the lines emerged.

Next, I decided to compare the hearts of those scared by the night sky, and those who find in it comfort and ease. This is where the comparison between the wax hearts and the iron ores comes in. I used wax as its a material that is easily manipulated. In contrast, the iron ores block one from reaching to the wax-like heart. I decided to use the same describing words for both hearts to show how those emotions are displayed in different ways. (how they can be seen in different ways

As a transition, I decided to use the passing of time, thus the strike of a clock. This was also to clearly illustrate that we are talking about midnight and not just when the sun sets, which could be as early as six depending on the season. The use of brackets is to show how thoughts contrast the later it gets. (The colors describe the passing of time, visible to all, while the brackets conceal the inner thoughts, not visible to all.)

A huge inspiration for this piece was the stars. Initially, I wanted to take 15 constellations and use each one to weave together one unique, united story. I found it very hard to do so and thus opted for piecing together five starts instead.

The stars I managed to use were:

  • Orian: The hunter. Orian is the most recognizable star. I used him to create a build from simple to complex.
  • Aquila: The bird of Zeus who carried and retrieved thunderbolts for his master to make use of.
  • Aquarius: cupbearer to the Olympian Gods. (To take a sip out of a drink suited for kings. Depending on your own interpretation this could be wine, poison or water from the fountain of youth)
  • Cassiopeia: a vain queen who boasted about her unrivaled beauty. (to share would humble her)
  • Circinus: The Compass
  • Apus: the bird of paradise. (plucking a feather from the bird of paradise and writing your dreams.)

(each star can with it have a postive or negative meaning associated with it.)

The last line was the first line that I wrote in this poem. The whole poem was written to incorporate that line. It honestly may be the best line I have ever written.

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One Comment Add yours

  1. mbthoughts4321 says:

    Dear Zabu-E,

    This poem is very beautiful. I love the way every line is so harmonious. What really stood out to me is the way you interpreted something as simple as a star with numerous emotions and connotations. The last two lines are also my favourite. I had to read them twice to truly grasp the meaning and imagery.

    I don’t think you need to improve anything in this piece, it’s perfectly written. Good job!

    ~ Maira

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