in the hush
before a star becomes
a path across the sky
before our wish is fated
to come true
remember how it was
to count them all
to speak their names
one by one
a trillion lights
come for me
and you

as simple then
the way recalled
tho now it all seems strained
to recognize the wealth
beside the gold
to see the truth
when all the rest
is bent to break us down
forgotten
what the heart
was meant to hold

. . .