Two nights ago I saw a man wearing a big yellow hat

placing stars in the sky.

He stood on his tippy-toes

on top of the waves

to get them just so, in the right spot.

I call out to him from the bow, “Hello! Do you do all of this?

Put up all of the stars?”.

The man looks over the waves, noticing us,

for maybe the first time.

He sees me at the bow of our

little ship in the

big wide

open ocean.

He simply smiles and waves, tipping his hat.

‘There’s no need’,

his smile says.

I watch him as he walks,

pulling stars from his pockets, choosing their familiar spots, sometimes placing them, sometimes giving them a

gentle toss

if he can’t quite reach.

His aim is perfect, every star landing where he intends.

As he walks,

further towards the horizon,

the sky continues to darken

and he keeps on

tossing up stars.

Two nights ago I saw a man wearing a big yellow hat placing stars in the sky. He stood on his tippy-toes on top of the waves to get them just so, in the right spot. I call out to him from the bow, “Hello! Do you do all of this? Put up all of the stars?”. The man looks over the waves, noticing us, for maybe the first time. He sees me at the bow of our little ship in the big wide open ocean. He simply smiles and waves, tipping his hat. ‘There’s no need’, his smile says. I watch him as he walks, pulling stars from his pockets, choosing their familiar spots, sometimes placing them, sometimes giving them a gentle toss if he can’t quite reach. His aim is perfect, every star landing where he intends. As he walks, further towards the horizon, the sky continues to darken and he keeps on tossing up stars.