Wishing On Stars

     Pitter pat, pitter pat, pitter... pitter... pip, pip... pat. As the rain slows to a stop, relieving the window panes of this constant assailment of pricking water droplets, I am reminded of the weather forecast for Monmouth: Sleet starting at nine and by midnight - snow, and from then until Monday morning: Snow, soft, white, feathery, downy snow. Well, perhaps... if the ground stays cold enough. if it doesn't decide to change to rain... it shouldn't change to rain, I don't want it to change to rain... snow is such a beautiful thing: so pure, and white, and simple, but so stunningly different against the grey, tired winter sky. I should so very much like the snow to stick. "Is that too much to ask?" I look up at the night sky, up at Jupiter (he's at the summit of his journey this month), and make a wish: "Star light, star bright," No, too often said. Suppose he's bored of that one... what else?
     Tip, tip tap, tip tap, tip tap. My pencil clicking on the paper as I try to think. Do I know any other wishing poems? Perhaps I've read one in a fairytale "Mirror, mirror..." no, the star doesn't mirror light from the earth... well, I could write my own wishing poem... how  does one write a wishing poem?
     Suddenly I realize that I've completely forgotten what I'm wishing for... White... like, like... Oh, yes! Snow! Of course... how does one write a poem, a wishing poem, to a star, about snow... should I write to a specific star? Jupiter surely is not the sort of star you'd want to wish on... So cold, so... so stern... lighting in his fist... besides, he was so terribly unfaithful to poor Juno. How can you expect a star like that to listen to a poem that asks him for snow? No, it simply will not do. what about Venus? Bueauty. Probably she is much more promising. she is said to have a mothering heart. Yes, Venus, I think, is much more likely to listen to such a request.
     But the poem, what about the poem? How does one write to the Starmother? It could be a short poem, something sing-songish, perhaps?

"Starmother, with your hair so bright

With your moon-like face, so sweet... so white,

I would so dearly like some snow

to last a day or so

then, I think, I could let it go!"

    

 Hm... No, I think not, Starmother deserves something better: more... something... Anne-ish:

"O, planet bright, Satellite

Of this star called 'Sun'.

So soft of light, so warm,

Please send to me a snow white storm

Storm... Storm...

With downy feather-flake

with the dusted white lightness

of snow.

O, please, sweet queen,

O, Venus golden white,

send... send me...

Snow."

     Well, not precisely refined, that... but still, I think she might respond to something like that. She likes to hear a pleading voice, she knows what to do with this: she has so many children, all those lovely stars - her youngest only a few years since he was put in his place up there with his older brothers and sisters. Yes, she will listen, and perhaps... perhaps...

The wind blows in from the west...