starry and a starry night

there’s a star over Moscow
and over Tehran
over Gaza
too
and over war-torn Bethlehem
also put-
together
in some seasons

we overuse the star
for movie players
and on
uniforms

we place one star
on our trees
and that is fun

we also place a star
over the creche
and that’s attractive
especially
if we happen to pay attention
to it

what it was
maybe we’ll never know
outside
a text of faith
and we can shape it
any way we want
our understanding
of the star

but star there was
some sort of beacon
for the magi
some sort of signal
over the family
as well
as over Earth

we think
we’re stars
the other way
not understanding Sagan’s
claim
we are star-stuff
we share the compounds
of a star
and maybe share its nature
too

to glow
to signal
understanding
that it such a bit place
we live on
and under
and maybe we could
stop splitting things

and come together
not under agenda
on a platform
but in a cave
a manger scene
quite humbly
together

c l couch


photo by Clarence E. Hsu on Unsplash 
“Starwork”
(I don’t know where this is)