By Christa de Brún
Why do I gaze at stars?
They’re just old light
pilgriming the night sky.
Looking at stars, staring through years.
Like me, born. Like me, die.
Some fade, some implode, in the end,
like me, they are mortal.
Fixed points of fate fastened
by silent string Clotho spins.
Lachesis counts and Atropos cuts
the hours collapsing the core.
At night I gaze upon the sky,
spiral streams of starlight adorned.
My heart explodes with joy. Such beauty.
Yet, I weep for the loss of their luminous light.
Christa de Brún is a poet and academic. From Athlone, she lives in Waterford where she lectures in English Literature in WIT. Most recently, her poetry was shortlisted for the Anthology Poetry Prize 2020 and the Roscommon Poetry Prize at the Strokestown International Festival 2020.
