# What Do I Care About The Stars?



## Arcopitcairn (Sep 10, 2014)

What do I Care About The Stars?




 Whatever.
 I'm not really seeing stars anyway.
 When I waste time looking up.
 I'm only seeing an afterimage.
 Mocking me with impossible distances.
 Dying stars or dead,
 Who cares?


 The ancient people painted pictures in their minds.
 The twinkles in the void,
 their canvas.
 Some imagination. Big deal.
 They saw a dipper, or a bull, or a hunter.
 Because they had nothing better to do.
 All the time in the world to waste,
 pondering useless points of light.


 I'm sure they were impressed in their caveman way.
 In awe of the mysterious stars.


 They can just all burn out as far as I care.
 For all the good they do.
 Stupid stars.


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## shedpog329 (Sep 11, 2014)

Cynical..

When I waste time looking up.
I'm only seeing an after image.
Mocking me with impossible distances.

This part I really liked, a great hook for inspiration to follow!

They saw a dipper, or a bull, or a hunter.
Because they had nothing better to do.

Is that what you think? Cynical yes!


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## Megookin (Sep 11, 2014)

If you live in a city, you might be lucky enough to see a few stars, but only the brightest that can beat back the light and air pollution to break through.  If you live a little way out of the city, you can see some of the lesser known brothers who can make their way through the diminishing pollution.  If you live far enough away from the pollution that shields the eyes and the mind, the nightly painting of stars and galaxies visible to the naked eye leaves one in awe.  I see the light in the sky and appreciate the distance it has travelled to entertain my mind.  Add to that the Aurora Borealis that is visible even in the Midwest when the conditions are right, and you find yourself looking to the heavens for the blanket of peace and serenity that it is.


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## Firemajic (Sep 11, 2014)

Your contempt comes across quite clear, and if that is what you are trying for --well then you succeeded...I have read your poetry, and it seems filled with rage and hatred, that is fine if that is the way you feel, BUT, your readers might be able to connect to your feelings and your poetry, If--you also wrote [just a little] in your poem , why you feel this or that way about the stars ect...Peace...Jul


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## Arcopitcairn (Sep 11, 2014)

Megookin said:


> If you live in a city, you might be lucky enough to see a few stars, but only the brightest that can beat back the light and air pollution to break through.  If you live a little way out of the city, you can see some of the lesser known brothers who can make their way through the diminishing pollution.  If you live far enough away from the pollution that shields the eyes and the mind, the nightly painting of stars and galaxies visible to the naked eye leaves one in awe.  I see the light in the sky and appreciate the distance it has travelled to entertain my mind.  Add to that the Aurora Borealis that is visible even in the Midwest when the conditions are right, and you find yourself looking to the heavens for the blanket of peace and serenity that it is.



I've been out in the dark, in the desert. I've witnessed the full star field in all its glory. The sprawl of the Milky Way, spread out across the sky. Could not care less. It's an endless, airless void of flaming or icy death...with sprinkles. Beautiful like a scorpion is.


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## Arcopitcairn (Sep 11, 2014)

Firemajic said:


> Your contempt comes across quite clear, and if that is what you are trying for --well then you succeeded...I have read your poetry, and it seems filled with rage and hatred, that is fine if that is the way you feel, BUT, your readers might be able to connect to your feelings and your poetry, If--you also wrote [just a little] in your poem , why you feel this or that way about the stars ect...Peace...Jul



There are plenty of things that I have written that do not have overt amounts of rage or hatred. They are on this site. Sometimes some healthy rage or hatred is a good thing. If you don't connect with it, then that's probably a good thing, too.


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## apple (Sep 11, 2014)

I read the poem with the feeling _not _of "not liking stars" but of what stars and the moon represent.  Romance, lovers  alone inside the beauty.  I read the disillusionment of love or hope.


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## E. Zamora (Sep 11, 2014)

I thought it was great. I took it more or less the same way apple did, or as something that turns the typical "in awe of nature" poetry on it's ear. Doesn't really matter, because it did what poetry is supposed to do; it surprised and intrigued me, made me think and reread.

Cheers,

Esteban


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## Kevin (Sep 11, 2014)

> I read the poem with the feeling _not _of "not liking stars" but of what stars and the moon represent.  Romance, lovers  alone inside the beauty.  I read the disillusionment of love or hope.


 Oh man... that one should have been obvious. Even if it wasn't the op's intent it didn't even occur to me.


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## Firemajic (Sep 11, 2014)

A healthy dose of rage and hatred IS a good thing and alot more entertaining to read.And I really like what apple said in her post to you, but I just did not pickup on that because of the way you went on to describe your personal feelings about the stars [the dipper, the bull , the hunter , ect] So my take on this poem was that you did not see the point in giving the stars any reverence at all,  Still , I found your POV intriguing. Peace...Jul


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## Chesters Daughter (Sep 11, 2014)

They can all burn out save for ours, lol. I really enjoyed this. Right up my cynical alley.


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## E. Zamora (Sep 11, 2014)

I'm gonna write the same kind of poem about those awful fluffy white clouds; so look out people!


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## Firemajic (Sep 11, 2014)

I love reading other poet's comments on a poem, helps me to see and appreciate the poem in different ways...I am looking forward to a cynical poem about those fluffy clouds Esteban..\\/


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## Terry D (Sep 11, 2014)

The poem has punch when viewed from the perspective of the disillusioned. It also, from another perspective is a statement of how much we have lost by disconnecting from our universe. Everything we see, touch, taste, and feel are the direct result of stars. The atoms we are built from started in the hearts of those useless points of light. It wasn't so long ago that the movement of stars determined when crops were planted, and when nomadic tribes moved from place to place to avoid winter. Practical uses those. People just don't know.


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## Gargh (Sep 11, 2014)

I get that cathartic feeling of 'screw this, I'm just really fed up with life' from this, that we're not always allowed to indulge, with a really well-honed edge to it. 

I do love stars though, for no greater reason that when I can see them, it means I've found sufficient dark... the deep, treacly, nourishing kind.


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## Arcopitcairn (Sep 11, 2014)

E. Zamora said:


> I'm gonna write the same kind of poem about those awful fluffy white clouds; so look out people!



Please write that. I want to read that.


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## Arcopitcairn (Sep 11, 2014)

apple said:


> I read the poem with the feeling _not _of "not liking stars" but of what stars and the moon represent.  Romance, lovers  alone inside the beauty.  I read the disillusionment of love or hope.



That's cool. 

The other morning I woke up at five or so. It was still dark and I went outside to smoke a Camel. The stars were particularly vivid, along with the escaping moon. I was thinking, as I smoked away, that if God existed he threw those stars in the cosmos just to mock me with their distance, taunting me with the fact that they are completely unattainable. I would, and in fact never could, visit those places. And they're meaningless in a supernatural world anyway. A test of faith, to tempt you to believe in the devil's science. All stars are six thousand years old. it's a joke. What horrible distant art painted across the void. What a sweeping missive of God's cruelty.

And if God does not exist (Which is what I believe), then the non-reachable stars show a serious lack of development of mankind in my time. I mean, great scientific minds have had plenty of time to find a way to create new propulsion or to fold space or some crap. I want to see that! But no, the leaps and bounds of science seem to have only gone so far as to increase the efficiency of our information technology to the point that it is very easy for me to find out some strangers favorite color or what movie they thought was good. What happened to pioneering spirit? What happened to adventure? The stars are winking at us, as a people, secure in the knowledge that they have the cat-bird seat, the high hat, a knowing gaze that says 'you'll never come here', 'you're failures', 'you'll kill each other before you make it to the stars'. We're a laughing stock in the eyes of the cosmos. We will sit and become fat blobs watching each other make asses of ourselves on Youtube and the stars will be some distant never-thing, hanging minus signs, red x's, destinations that humanity has just given up on. Forever lost. 

So, yeah, I suck. Right or wrong, these are the things that run through my head when I'm smoking a cigarette at 5 in the morning while I'm looking at the stars.


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## wainscottbl (Sep 14, 2014)

Well written. Good poem. Found it cynical, yes, and a representation of relativism gone to the extreme where one cannot appreciate beauty, even from an atheistic view. I am not sure why you feel this way about the stars. God came up as he often does with majesty but you do not have to believe in God to appreciate majesty and beauty. But I like the poem even though I hate what it expresses. That's the beautiful thing about poetry. The human in me wants me to tell you that you are more miserable than an old miser who hoards his money. But the poet says well it's well written so she/he has some appreciation for beauty. Just not mine. I mean all this in a more or less friendly way. I find your worldview a bit repulsive, but I appreciate your talent.


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## Blade (Sep 15, 2014)

I do not find this cynical at all but rather descriptive and realistic. The majesty of the heavens might be an inspiring or depressing experience once in a while but not he kind of thing you would want looking over your shoulder all the time. Stars are not going to sort anything out for you or take out the garbage so the few you can normally see at night are more than plenty. 



Firemajic said:


> I love reading other poet's comments on a poem, helps me to see and appreciate the poem in different ways...I am looking forward to a cynical poem about those fluffy clouds Esteban..\\/



You mean the lost, useless water vapour that litters up the sky all the time? I would like to read that as well.:eagerness:


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## Cyborg (Sep 16, 2014)

The most interesting ideas in this poem is what is implied. The speaker feigns indifference, but also says the stars are "mocking" them. Why mocking? Did they search and find no meaning? Is this the bitterness of realization, or what is believed to be realization? And the attitude towards "primitive people" is also showing. It shows a belief in a final knowledge, an absolute knowledge, above those who imagined. I think, to me, I'm not supposed to entirely agree with the speaker, that's at least what I've come to. Just take a line for example like "Stupid stars.". It's so incredibly juvinile to me, or at least it seemed it's supposed to be, taking the time to call the distant light 'stupid', to insult the inanimate, it's suggests I'm not supposed to take it that the speaker actually is saying what they are feeling. Maybe they're actually sad upon their realization, but feign not to care. It shows a deep child-like sadness to me, and I can identify with it quite a bit.Very interestingly written, nice piece!


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