Light pollution [Poetry 2nd Place]

Dhaval Jani - 2nd place in Poetry

UCSD - Computer Science major with a minor in Environmental Systems

A real story shared by my dad, I often found comfort through the idea of my ancestors looking down at me and taking care of me. Whenever I feel alone, I can stand underneath the night sky and feel surrounded by my loved ones again. I hope that you can share the same feeling after reading this.

“Light Pollution”

my dad once told me the stars are our ancestors

looking down on us with less questions and more answers

he said they would take care of me when i need

one day he would join them, he’d repeat

my dad will pass one day and i’ll look at the night sky

remembering his words looking for a star sharing his eye

but some nights i look up there now

and the sky has no stars, and my ancestors are not to be found

my descendants may not see the clouds

let alone the shimmering stars

lost in the world of light

with no sky to stare upon

the past is nowhere to be found

and the future may be swallowed by the work of our own

but i hope the stars will still loom in the sky

even if our world doesn't know of them anymore