Six planets align in the night sky
Their rotation and route mapped out 
by my ancestors
Math never lies

There is predictable safety in their patterns
We try to guess which one is the brightest
Is it Jupiter?
Is that Saturn’s rings – Yes!

The golden star above my house 
and the dark silhouette of trees
Can Saturn see the earth?
Is it a blue star in their sky?

The trajectory of me, a mere earthling 
looking up and seeing a song of the ancients.
They say a star’s light took billions of light years 
just to twinkle in my eye

What an impossible journey 
but here it is Painting and lighting up the dark sky
so many stars
at least 12 – 15 by my counting.

It is cold, the dead of winter
– not in the cosmos – 
the sleep of winter is just my experience

what seemed a billion lifetimes ago
is not so far from what I can see 
counting and marveling at the light
in the quiet of the night.

There is magical possibility 
in the incredulous impossibility
What was once expressed as a ball of 
gas and light has not been long forgotten

It shines above me now
It has a story to share 
to those who look upon it
My ear is open to hear your tale

My heart is open to believe
I see you now
A hand holding mine
We keep each other warm through this night.