Posted Friday the 13th of August, 2021
Have you ever wondered if your momma used to stare at the stars
when she was young and still amazed?
Did she walk through fields black and quiet from the lack of cars?
And did she dream of this future as she gazed?
My mom was and will always be a country girl at heart
I can see her now, as clear as the sky is blue
wandering in wonder at God’s cosmic art
as she searched and found Mars’ red silver hue.
She lived in a town that could safely be called dinky
waking up with the roosters, or even earlier.
She named the stars “There’s Dasher…oh, and there’s Blinky”
and giggled with the cows as the names got squirrelier.
Could she find the planets? Maybe the Big Dipper?
From the darkness I bet she surely could see them ALL!
Choosing boots over a princess’ slipper
As she tromped through the fields to the horse’s stall.
Did she wish upon a falling star
like us old…I mean, mature folks forget to do?
Did she nightdream in those fields of days afar
as that celestial sprinter bids adieu?
Did she wish for Prince Charming or a brand new pig
or a million dollars from this starry wish giver?
Still small, but encouraged from the sky so big,
I bet she held hope this wish would deliver.
Or maybe she wished for something from the funnies
like a robot that would do her chores?
Or maybe something sweet like a trough full of bunnies?
That’s probably it! It’s animals that little mom adores.
Steadily the Earth spins and circles the sun
and time, like the wind, whooshes hurriedly past.
Life and love and jobs dampen the fun.
And little girls like mom grow up waaaay too fast.
And I wonder now, looking at mom’s blank yet smiling stare
if that little girl is still gazing into the sky?
Inwardly she’s still wishing at the shooting star “up there”
Awaiting heaven, holding the Star-Giver up high.
-Mark Applegate
#EndALZ
Another week in the books. I hope you got to witness the Perseid Meteor Shower like me and 2 of my kids got to see a small sample of. Here is a link of the calendar of meteor showers. I ran a little this week, but not as much as I would have liked. Next Year’s Runnin’ Til I’m Purple event will take MUCH more effort and preparation than I am exerting right now, but I will step up my game soon. 🙂 My little pitch dark run Thursday morning in the meteor shower is what sparked the above poem…I hope you liked it. 🙂 Here is the run map, which further had me thinking of the heavens… Does it remind you more of the Big Dipper…or a toilet down which my poem should be flushed? 🙂 Have a nice weekend!
No real update on mom. Our visit was nicer than Tuesday’s was because they let us go inside out of the heat. She was awake more than some days and smiled a few times. Was she dreaming of days gone by, dipped from the few remaining memories the disease hasn’t stolen? It was still 15-30 minutes max…but it beats 0 minutes.
Here is a news piece I was fortunate to be involved in: LINK Thank you Ashley Eddy and the whole KOLR10 team!
