Moon, Stars, and Big Dipper
Drawing by Willow E. Morse
May 2008

shooting stars
are magical

a glaring streak
across damp night darkness

lying on my back
in wet summer grass

after a rain shower
as a child I watched and watched

for shooting stars
I pressed anxious eyelids

so tightly I saw
their streaks

in my mind
my eyes closed

I made tails and balls of fire
more intense

it has been a long, long time
since I have seen a shooting star

but the magic
returned not long ago

driving back on a cold
glistening freeway

a long bright flash was seen
in suddenly cleared skies ahead of me

excitement swelled in my throat
as I shouted "a shooting star"

my son in the back
seat asked, "What's that, Mom?"

I explained the magical feeling
of nights in years past

"Like when you hold your eyes
tight, Mom, is that a shooting star?"

6-14-08