Pleiades
I go outside in search of shooting stars,
Longing for the thrill of seeing
Arcs of fire explode across the heavens.
I hoist myself into the hammock,
Look up, and find that cloud has drifted in.
I lie, deflated, until a breeze begins
To stir the poplar leaves.
A bat darts out from the gloom
Performs a dark dance against the milky sky;
A hedgehog scuffles in the bushes behind me;
The cat leaps up, purring with joy at finding
A human out at night.
I am as happy as if I had seen
A hundred shooting stars.
Chrissie Williams, August 2003