IMOGENE’S NOTEBOOK
Measuring the Distance of Stars
A poem
A majestic wash of moonlight lures me to stop,
and I wind down the rocky path
to a spot beneath thick pines
where I traded love for a brief glance
at what I believed bliss to be,
when I saw the passion
that made me believe in shooting stars.
Sometimes miles of darkness descend
between me and what I learn to be happiness.
There are countless moments to measure the distance
between what was wished and what is.
Tonight, the benign cold brings comfort in seeing my own breath,
and I look at stars with clearer eyes,
though I’m still swept away by their radiance.
The old romance is replaced by revelation:
beauty lies less in stars than in the sheer light of an earthly glow,
peace only now perceived,
floating through memory of a life once lived.
© Elisa Affanato
All rights reserved
Thank you to the editors of Imogene’s Notebook for this inspiring prompt.
