astronomy lesson #1

Janine Liwanag, Philippines

they find stars romantic
and proclaim that the moon shines just for you
but I think that’s blasphemy,
for what is so whimsical about balls of fire
that they dare open their heart to the vast sky
in hopes of understanding your soul?

when our palms gain the privilege
of meeting in the afterglow of the sun’s absence,
I will not whisper sweet nothings to you
nor pretentious promises;
instead, I will try to make you understand
that these stars are way past their time
and we are only basking
in the warmth of their ghosts.

I will not bore you to death with all of their names;
instead, I will retell all that they’ve seen
(or at least what matters)
and when I notice you smiling at my favorite one,
I will pray to Orion
that I remember to include your smile on that list.

once the sun has risen
and the twinkle fades from your eyes
(but they still shine,
for that is difficult to take away)
I will sigh,
and when you ask what is wrong,
I will only answer:

“stardust, and everything it represents.”

Janine Liwanag is a senior at Philippine Science High School—Main Campus where she is studying to become a scientist while pursuing her love for writing. In 2018, she became the editor-in-chief of Dalumat, her school's literary folio produced yearly by the creative writing elective. While in quarantine, she has been trying to write more poetry, self-studying data science, and spending time with her dog.