Spent Stars
Long ago I learned that my happiness
comes with a price.
Each time I am filled with the lightness of pure joy,
another light goes out.
My world becoming brighter
causes the darkness for everyone else
to become deeper.
Any allowance for myself
to escape the pain of dull living
could be the one
that dooms this planet
by taking the life of the one star
it is dependent on.
Already, I’ve taken too much,
constellations and legends long forgotten
and the ease of nighttime travel
even when the moon is dark.
This universe is running out of stars.
My life has been long,
but I worry for this planet’s caretakers.
Will they die for my selfish smiles?
Will they cry out for mercy
because of my singing soul?
Maybe I will die with them on this planet,
ruined by my own choices.
I hope that by the time
I spend their last star,
they will have been as filled with joy as I,
at least once.
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