i shot a bullet to the stars once
but
the lead was forged by the people before me
the gun was slick with someone else's sweat
and the stars were never mine.

i shot a bullet to the stars once
but
my hands were trembling
my heart was screeching,
terror the default,
and my mind didn't know what it wanted.

i shot a bullet to the stars once
but
hope is blind and
love is stupid and
lights are nothing to the darkness
zebras are black with white stripes.

i shot a bullet to the stars once
but
i felt nothing when it landed
not a ripple
not a sound
i followed it anyway.

i shot a bullet to the stars once
but
void is all it met,
black and
black and
black.

i shot a bullet to the stars once
but
it didn't matter
no one's ever aimed it true,
and they all confuse
wanting to live with
wanting to die.

i shot a bullet to the stars once

i missed.