Antonio Dias (Hamilton, Ontario)

Sometimes I go outside
And sit under the stars.
I let them cover me,
Keeping me safe under their blanket.
The beauty that I witness
Sucks the air out of my lungs,
Leaving me gasping,
But unable to shift my eyes away.

I sit under the stars
For a taste of evanescent grace.
All else that I know does not matter,
For then, the security that the stars provide
Would be corrupted by my past affairs.
They supply me with peace;
A place where I can feel safe,
And think over a reality that is
Oblivious to the rotting society.

A quiet place;
A tranquil place.
Alone, under the stars,
In the night that surrounds me.
The stars give me hope
Of breaking through the darkness
And landing among them,
Into a place not shrouded by night;
Where I am not choked by decay;
Where I truly belong:
Among the stars.