She lay on her back
her body slightly sunk
into the cool fine sand,
her eyes gazing straight into the dark
of the night sky.
She had wished
upon the stars
for a new life
that was free
from the burden
of her loss
but everyone had laughed
“when the stars align,
darling.”
So, she’d watched,
night after night,
waiting for the stars
to rearrange themselves
in the sky above.
Sometimes
she’d catch a glimpse
of slight movement
in the corner of her eye
and hold her breath.
But it was only ever
a single shooting star.
Tonight, she lay waiting,
as she’d done
every night
for the past year
her heart
aching
more than ever
for it was
the anniversary.
Born and lost,
in the same instant,
but never
to be forgotten
the pain
like a stake
in her heart.
Her body
seemed to sink
a little further
into the sand
from the weight
of her heavy heart.
And just as the tears
started
water falling
from her crystal eyes,
she saw it.
The tiny glistening lights
high
in the sky
shifting
one by one
moving
through the darkness
to create
one
bright
dotted
line
from the moon
to the earth.
She gasped,
one hand over her mouth
the other
in the center
of her flat stomach
where
a small round bump
once held
the love of her life.
She sat up
as the tears
began to pour
even stronger from her eyes
still fixated
on the miracle
taking over the sky above.
Goosebumps covered her body
as she whispered,
“when the stars align”
she felt a warm sensation
where her hand
met her stomach.
Suddenly
terrified that her wish
was finally
coming true
she cried out
into the night
in desperation
for she realized
the pain
was all she ever had.
Just Me, Jasmine Lee 