A Sidereal Catechism / Joshua Alan Sturgill
Q: How big is a star?
A: A star is as large as its light can shine.
Q: What do I see when I look up at night?
A: Each star is so large, you’re in the star
— that shining point is its mind.
Q: Then where is the star?
A: Distance isn’t very much,
and seeing is a kind of touch.
No matter how faint, they’re never far.
Whenever you see them, you’re where they are.
Q: But what do stars do?
A: Have you ever made a child laugh?
Or learned to dance? Or rode a rapid on a raft
— something that made you afraid but excited?
Like that, stars’ work is keeping Earth delighted.
Q: Do the stars know who I am?
A: At their table, they’ve saved you a seat,
where your name is etched in white-gold heat.
You can’t get there by force or chance
— you must ask to be invited.
All poetry and supplementary material: copyright 2025 by Joshua Alan Sturgill. All rights reserved.
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