Cassiopeia

by Yas Jayson Monday, December 07, 2009 3 palagay everyday witness home sweet home pagkakamakata stargazing vita brevis

The dusk falls quickly
everytime you spend half of your lifetime
upside down.

The stars that make up your vain glory,
And the celestials that joined you
are eternally cursed
along with your self proclaimed beauty-
the heavens are always greater
than the depths of the sea.

So whenever the stargazer points at you
on cold Christmas nights,
she could only wish of seeing the Leonids'-
confused rocks known for their generosity.

Because seeing you upside down,
is seeing her self in the same position as yours.
Unfitting and shameful
somnambulant and weeping.
(oh, but you never weep from now.)
No. No, there are no wailings and loud rages.
Just silent, just serene.
Mute and uncomplaining.

And I know why you are like that.

You always have hope
hope that the day will come.
That the stars will get tired of telling lores and myths
and stop deciding the fate of a man or mankind.

You are positive.

You always point to Polaris.




*Cassiopeia, the mother of Andromeda, was beautiful, arrogant and vain, and it was these latter two characteristics which were to lead to her downfall. Poseidon placed her in the heavens in such a position that she circles the celestial pole in an upside-down position for half the time.

Written in memory of Josefina, I have not forgetten what you said while lying on that funny hospital bed.