Not all those who look to the stars are lost.
The sky is their compass pointing them home.
For a year, that home for me was in the heart of Turkey
(my heart’s still there)
which has one star punctuating the points of a snow white moon in a scarlet sky.
But the people of Turkey are not one star.
They are millions. With not one background, but millions.
To the green eye, the night sky looks like the flag that is mine:
star spangled banner, cacophony of light and dark color,
spattered across a dark blue dome.
And yet, the stars do not wander. They weft and warp into patterns.
Cosmos constellations.
Listen with your eyes, there are stories woven in the stars
Whispered lessons, secret messages:
They offer not only direction but serve as examples.
Lay down your burden!
You were never meant to carry weight of the world on beleaguered shoulders;
You carry the Light of the world in your heart as a compass
and comfort for others!
The most important thing about a star is
that it shines.
So shine like the star you were born to be.
Your story will lead you to the place you unfurl your flag.
Adapted from Maryam Farah’s A Poem of Stars in Victoria Jamieson’s When Stars Are Scattered
