Once, long ago
before our world
was spinning in space
before earth itself was aglow

we humans gazed with awe
as darkness came
and the night turned brilliant
lit with stars

the sky filled with them
some streaked across the black
and we were much afraid
we told each other stories

about how the stars moved
and why they disappeared
we build stone monuments
to honor them

we gaze now upon
sparkling Christmas lights
but once we humans
saw the starry night sky