IMOGENE’S NOTEBOOK

The Reformation of Stars

A poem

Photo by Rodion Kutsaiev on Unsplash

Weight reforms stars —
a billion elements
cast wide
in open dark
and cold,
tendrils drifting,
aimless,
floating on solar currents,
wisps invisible,
until gravity
engages, pressure
pulling them in,
a spark only possible
through weight,
pressure,
what we call comfort,
igniting them
and revealing the glitter
all elements carry.

When we are fractured,
hit at the heart
splintered,
split wide
and spread far,
our pieces blowing on the breeze
until they settle on a bed,
on the floor,
against the dirt —
we seek the same comfort,
pressure,
weight on our chests,
backs,
holding our pieces
back in place.