there are three stars
in a row: Orion’s belt
trace upward, find the shoulders
and the knees, to right
there’s the bow in his hand
at his heels nips his faithful hunting dog
i don’t remember who taught
me, but there’s a vague voice
whispering, murmuring
my parents are not big on stars
perhaps a teacher or a counselor then
from one of the countless camps
i went to, a tv show from somewhere
i don’t really know
it’s sad, in a way not quite like sorrow
but a mix between nostalgia
and the dream that was important
that you swore you wouldn’t forget
(of course you did)
(i was just a kid)
(did you expect me to)
(did i expect me to remember)
yes, yes always
i have a problem
of not knowing how to let go
of things i can’t control
the night is dark and
half cloudy, the kind you don’t
see often at this time, and if i
squint, blur the colors out
(a technique taught by)
(my art teacher)
(at least i remember that much)
(but oh, i can’t remember who)
(or which teacher, goddamn)
it looks black and white
just like my life
when things were simpler
Orion shines above me
but he too gets dimmer every year
and aren’t we all tired warriors
waiting to fade away, scatter our
ashes to the wind and our legacy
to the people, our story to some
person we’ve never met
i point my finger upward
look at the three stars, i say
but my little brother, like my parents
also is not one for stars
his stories lie in a place
different from the place i’ve found
solace, but i know
(i know, god i wish i)
(i wish)
(he becomes someone)
(better than me)
history repeats himself
we all eventually wind up in the same place
is he lonely, up there
(there were more)
(before the light pollution, scientists)
(or scientifically inclined people)
(would remark, but for me)
all the stars that once dotted our
pitiful tired sky, faded
Orion, teach me how to forget
teach me how to look down at
the miserable travelers, teach me
how to live when everyone around me
has moved on
Orion, isn’t it lonely up there
the single warrior
i direct my gaze to
every night, stands by himself
a patchwork of legends and imaginary
lines, tying him together