Constellations

I am the one pointing out constellations now,
seeking them with one finger as they blend in
among so many stars.

I am learning to recognize Jupiter
where he sits on the horizon,
and Cassiopeia across the way on her throne.

I point out the bears and follow their guide
to the swan, the great cross in the sky.
The milky way lights up the night

and sometimes I wonder how there can be so many stars—
they wash upon each other in pools of endless worlds.
I want to lay out blankets long after dark

and catch shooting stars with wishes.
I want to recognize the stars the way my mother did—
retelling stories to the sky.

Kaye Spivey is a writer and poet based in the Pacific Northwest. She has published two poetry collections, Fragments and An Isolated Storm. She has also been published in such literary journals as Written River, Sterling Mag, Ghostlight, The Penwood Review, and Northwest Boulevard.