I sit underneath the old pine trees in my yard

Their skinny bodies marred by turpentine scars

I look beyond their needles into the stars

The stars break the darkness like small holes in the thread of a dress

I stayed there watching them until the dawn rose and the sun brought consequence back into the world

I wondered if they stayed watching me

If they saw everything the light illuminated

Even the horrors that daylight brought

I thought maybe that’s why the stars strayed so far from Earth

They were simply disgusted by us and sought to only maintain an observing distance

The cruelness of mankind scared the stars back into the night

Their pure radiance disturbed by the evils of free will

But why would they stay silent, twinkling in the background

Why let the tumors among men rot the Earth

Why not burn away this world

Create something new from the ashes of sin