If you stare long enough into the night 

Stars, even distant ones, come into sight.

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Bright ones that are larger or nearby 

Always more visible in our nightly sky.

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Faint ones, so far away it boggles the mind

That such distances can even be defined.

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Light pollution of our cities today 

Scares even the brightest stars away.

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Last night I stared as hard as I could 

Taking a few minutes to see what I should.

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Lights at night are too bright for me 

Obliterating what I truly want to see.

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The cosmos is wondrous to us all 

Promising beauty up each nightfall.

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So when night falls, stare into space 

Don’t be surprised if a star’s in place.

-AAA 11/28/2024