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An Ocean of Stars

She loved the evenings lying in the grass next to her dad…looking up…enjoying the view
He would teach her all about the stars…everything he knew.

He’d point up to Polaris, the North Star and tell her it was so bright
navigators for years would use it as their guiding light.

“When boats navigated by the stars,” he’d say,
“from the smallest boat to the largest ocean liner…
they would find the north star on the handle of the little dipper…also known as Ursa Minor.”

He’d point to Sirius, the Dog Star, saying, “it’s the brightest in the night sky.
I know why it’s the brightest…do you.”
She’d smile repeating what he taught her, “Because it’s not one star…but two.”

He would teach her about all the constellations…the planets…
his favorite was the red one…Mars.
He always said, “when it came to teaching about the night sky…
“We’ll run out of time before we run out of stars.”

“Would you like to touch the stars?” He asked one day. She sat up, “I’d love to.”
“On the next clear night when the ocean is calm…that’s just what we will do.”

“Try not to make too many waves.” He said after they waded into the ocean one night.
She was still unsure why…
The stars are still so far away.” She said, “Still high up in the sky.”

“Your looking in the wrong direction.” He told her…noticing her frown.
“If you want to touch the stars…don’t look up…look down.”

There at her fingertips floating…was the North Star, Sirius, and Mars.
They spent hours and many an evening…in the ocean…touching stars.

As he had predicted earlier (you read it in this rhyme)
they did not run out of stars…but they did run out of time.

Not before however, he taught her to look up at night and enjoy the view….
not before he taught her…everything he knew.

Which she is teaching to her children…who can’t wait to touch Grandpa’s favorite…Mars
when they wade into the ocean together…into the ocean..to touch the stars.

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