Cosmic Dance

By Shriya Mahesh

They say all that is lost is found again. 

The wind encircles me, wrapping me in a mellow embrace, 

But its dysphoric whispers leave a trace

Etched in my heart, it runs through my veins. 

The stars pirouette in their indecipherable dance, 

They wink and twinkle at me, the earthlings would call it “science” 

But really, they just want me to join along 

They follow me along on my ruminative walk, 

Their incandescence percolates deep within; they try time and again 

But they gleam and glitter, while I’m undeniably plain. 

The moon seems to sense my agony and distaste 

She reaches for my hand, pulls me in a gentle caress 

“Why won’t you join them?” she says. 

“Their light blinds me,” I say, 

For I couldn’t join them, I have no luminance 

They would mock my desperate attempts, 

I would be back on earth with my putrescence. 

Would she fall back to earth, her embarrassment 

In streaks of golden, yellow, and red 

And heart ablaze, leaving a mark so hard to erase? 

They say all that is lost is found again. 

But how could a girl, adrift in a haze of “what ifs” 

Ever feel whole with the stars? 

Perhaps one day she’ll stare and smile, 

And trace constellations with the utmost jubilance

For stars and planets are not the same, 

Yes, all that is lost is found again. 

By Shriya Mahesh