The Stars
The stars file in one at a time, filling the corners of his room like spectators at a baseball game, leaning in to hear him breathe. They watch him squish his face against the side of his crib, the wooden slats leaving deep grooves on his forehead. They begin to whisper to one another until he stirs, his fingers reaching out towards them. They move in, so close to his crib that he grabs one and holds it in his palm-- its bright light bouncing off his cheeks. He smiles at his audience and stands up, motioning for them to help him out of his crib. The stars lift him and throw a cloak across his shoulders. It ripples down his arms and fans out behind him as they all fly through the now open window of his bedroom. They play leap frog over the treetops, and the stars surround him as they sail through clouds that reach out and try to grab his toes. The night air swallows them as they float over houses and pastures filled with cows. He hears the stars laugh when he shakes the dew out of his hair, sending it flying like rain. They lead him to the ocean where the sky and the water bleed together, making the whole world sparkle with starlight. They splash through the tops of the waves, spraying salty water across his face and into his mouth. Whales surface at the commotion and throw their huge bodies into the sky. Some of the stars plummet into the ocean to ride on the broad backs of the whales, filling the ocean with shooting stars. When it’s time to leave, the whales wave their flippers in goodbye, and the stars lead him to an island, completely still and dark. They descend through trees full of sleeping monkeys, their heads against their chests, their tails swaying below them. Frogs blanket the ground, hopping from puddle to puddle, and he can hear them croaking rhythmically with one another, singing praise for the night. He stretches out his hand and one lands on his fingers before hopping onto a leaf the size of his head. He watches as the frogs hop across the descended stars like they’re lily pads, racing from one to the next. As they jump, they blow huge, opaque bubbles that fill the air like giant balloons. They bump against his thighs and the tree trunks, then melting into the giant puddles on the ground. He tries to blow a bubble himself, but all that comes out is a puff of air that sends the stars around him flying into the bushes. He laughs and the monkeys wake up and swat the stars with their tails, mad at the intrusion and their bright light. The stars gather him up and they float back up through the trees and into the clouds where they sit and let the drops of water rock them. He hums a lullaby and his body feels heavy and warm. His eyes close, and when he opens them again he’s back in his crib, and sunlight is streaming in through the window, catching the bits of stardust still on his cheeks.
