At darkness’ veil of night most deep,
They rise in silence from their sleep,
One by one, like crystals bright,
Adorn the heaven’s vaulted height.
I did once wonder whence stars came:
Do they traverse from lands aflame,
Or dwell aloft, in patient state,
Till night doth call them to their fate?
I did once muse upon the Moon,
How she doth wax and wane till noon,
And why she walks beside mine eyes,
A silver lantern in the skies.
I did once marvel at the birds,
Their flight unhindered, free of words;
And if I had wings to dare,
How far I might ascend the air.
But now those musings cease in me,
Not that I would them cease to see,
But childhood dreams, that gentle light,
Hath fled with time’s unyielding flight.
The world is no more a fairy tale,
Its magic wanes, its wonders pale;
Yet if I gaze where stars abide,
I find my lost heart waits inside.