This present tragedy will eventually
turn into myth, and in the mist
of that later telling the bell tolling
now will be a symbol, or, at least,
a sign of something long since lost.

This will be another one of those
loose changes, the rearrangement of
hearts, just parts of old lives
patched together, gathered into
a dim constellation, small consolation.

Look, we will say, you can almost see
the outline there: her fingertips
touching his, the faint fusion
of two bodies breaking into light.

Analysis, meaning and summary of Joyce Sutphen's poem Naming The Stars

1 Comment

  1. Cindy Bousquet Harris says:

    Lovely and sad, with the slightest hint of healing. An intriguing image: love envisioned as a constellation in the night sky. Thank you for this poem.

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