On April 17, 2012 by

Stars

starry-night

Stars
by Brian Zahnd

I don’t spend enough time looking at stars
I’m a modern man, I live with a roof over my head
I live in a world of ambient light with washed out night skies
One reason why there’s not enough wonder in our eyes

Tonight I saw the stars from the crisp Colorado skies
And I said—
The world is old
The stars are older still
They twinkle, but they don’t blink
They’re impassive (I think)

And I wonder—
Do they watch the goings-on on the blue marble below?
Do the twinkling but not blinking stars think…
Will those curious little creatures ever get it together?
Will they ever figure out they’re all in it together?
Will it ever dawn on them they’re children of God?
Will they ever learn that in the long run—
“There’s no them, there’s only us.”

I wonder if they wonder about us
After all, like the song says—
We are stardust, we are golden
We are billion year old carbon
We’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden
Yes, we do—we’ve got to!
(The bombs are now far too big for us not to!)

I looked at the stars tonight
And I prayed a prayer—
God, I don’t know what will happen tomorrow
I don’t know what will be a billion centuries on
But I believe in you
I believe you’re good, true, and beautiful
I believe you sustain your finite creation from your infinite being
Forgive us. Restore us. Heal us. Help us. Save us. Please!
Oh, yes! I believe you will!
Glory be to Christ!

And so anon or much, much later on…
Everything will be alright—
In the end we’ll find the lost garden
And learn to love our brother
We’ll walk with you again
Or for the first time
And shine like the stars
Forever

BZ

(The painting is, of course, Van Gogh’s Starry Night.)

  • Steve Parsons

    Love this Brian. I was looking at the stars from my back garden last night – hard to really see from the suburbs though. My thoughts weren’t as poetic as yours though. 

  • Bradjersak

    Outstanding!

  • Jason Ford

    “There’s no them, there’s only us.”…. oh that we could all see this now!!!!!!

  • Mary

    I have learned much by sharing the watching of stars with friends and grand kids.   They have lessons to teach from eons ago. They teach me almost as much as sitting by a fire surrounded by darkness. 

  • Joe Brinnon

    After the completion of the book you’re currently working on….I recommend your next project be one of your poetry, musings and wit.  

  • http://brianzahnd.com Brian Zahnd

     I’ve got a file full of poems. I may do something with them someday.

  • Scott Peffley

    Hello,
    I was referred to your blog by Bill Spaulding. I’m a visual artist who doesn’t create but would like to again. Thankfully, I do play music on a regular basis. I like your poem above very much. Thank you for sharing and I’ll check back from time to time. Very inspiring!

    Scott