starry-eyed and optimistic

~ jama

“Like a bolt out of the blue, faith steps in and sees you through. When you wish upon a star your dreams come true.” ~ Cliff Edwards

“Starry Night Sky Galaxy” by Brittany Drollinger.
BLUE STARS
by Richard Jones

Yesterday I made a to-do list,
a dozen tasks I would undertake
and check off the list one by one.
But what did I do with my list?
Did I put it on the piano?
Did I set it down by the coffeepot?
I remember this morning
in my robe at the back door
contemplating frost icing the grass
and seeing a dark-eyed junco at the bird feeder.
How did I know it was a junco
and not a sparrow?
Maybe juncos and sparrows are cousins.
I thought about birds in nests
of twigs, reeds, briars, and straw.
The clear, cold sky brought to mind
the image of my late father, high up
and far away, flying
once again in his silver plane,
and I closed my eyes to admire
the many blue paintings
hanging in the gallery of my childhood heart.
Perhaps at that moment
I had the to-do list in my hand
and during my azure reverie
the paper slipped from my fingers.
I only know that when I opened my eyes
I saw it would be wise
to give my blue paintings away --
only then would my heart be free
to help those in need.
I resolved to put that on my to-do list,
and that's when I noticed
my to-do list had vanished.
Now the frost has died,
the sun is pushing noon,
and I'm still in my robe
with eternity hovering in the balance.
But no day is without its victory.
Because it is hiding,
I'll search for the lost little piece of paper,
and when I find it
I'll write down my heart's resolution.
Then I'll dress for the day and go out into the world.
With pen and to-do list in my hands,
I'll draw little blue stars
beside all the accomplished tasks --
buying milk,
picking up the laundry,
driving to the library,
and paying the fines for my overdue books.

~ from Stranger on Earth (Copper Canyon Press, 2018).
“Sky Clouds” by Alla Kizimenko.

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When I first read the title, “Blue Stars,” I thought: “celestial,” “night sky,” “guiding lights,” “enchanting.”

With Richard Jones, there’s always more than meets the eye. Something as ordinary as misplacing a to-do list becomes an “azure reverie,” an interior monologue documenting a moment of clarity.

I love following his progression of thought: first wondering where the list could be, retracing his movements in order to determine when or where he lost it (as we all do), remembering how he was “contemplating frost icing the grass” and seeing the junco at the bird feeder. 

“Little Blue Heron” by Ashley Wolff (gouache on paper, 2022).

From one specific bird to birds’ nests in general, to the “clear, cold sky,” then his late father’s silver plane up in that sky. His free flowing thoughts travel back in time, finally stopping to “admire the many blue paintings hanging in the gallery of my childhood heart.” What a gorgeous line!

Why “blue” paintings? And why has he resolved to give them away? Perhaps blue paintings are sad memories and he realizes he can’t move forward to “help those in need” until he lets go of them. Perhaps he lost his father at a young age or missed him a lot since as a pilot, he was often “far away.” The childhood heart is wide open, imaginative and expansive, but also at its most vulnerable. The sky is blue — it, too, is wide open and expansive.

“Sir Bobby the Teddybear” by Rick Triest (2022).

As for drawing blue stars instead of simply checking off tasks accomplished? This made me think of my school days, receiving gold or silver stars for work well done. When we “star” something on a list, we deem it as special, making it stand out. Adding his “heart’s resolution” to his list of otherwise mundane tasks elevates them. The way he sees it, everything merits careful observation and consideration. He takes nothing for granted. 

The star cluster R136 in the central region of the Tarantula Nebula. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and P. Crowther (University of Sheffield)).

Finally, there’s the symbolism of stars. Blue stars are the biggest and the brightest. As we navigate this life, we look to stars to guide us, we wish upon stars, and when it comes to aspirations, we reach for them. Points of light in the night sky, azure reveries that illuminate. Blue turns our attention heaven-ward, to peace, serenity and divinity. Jones is counting his lucky stars.

My own to-do list.

Would love to hear your thoughts. The beauty of Jones’s poem is how it’s open to different interpretations with its layers of meaning. Why blue stars? Why blue paintings? Do you often make to-do lists? 🙂

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Lovely and talented Patricia Franz is hosting the Roundup at Reverie. Drift on over to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up around the blogosphere. Have a great weekend!

*

Wishing upon this star!
Sending you a galaxy of good wishes.

hoping, hoping, hoping, hoping, hoping . . .

*Copyright © 2024 Jama Rattigan of Jama’s Alphabet Soup. All rights reserved.

27 thoughts on “starry-eyed and optimistic”

  1. There’s such a blend of special…almost sacred, and every day. This inner monologue is the conversation I would rather have than the one grumping about having to run back into the house and being late for work. What a lovely blue poem to send us into next week. Thank you, Jama.

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  2. Yes, I sit here now by my “to do” list, Jama, and I star some things, and let others sit there, waiting for me to act! Richard Jones’ poem is US! And, you’ve managed on your own list to add your special blues! I grew up with my family telling me I had a star on my birth certificate, and of course, I don’t, but it has stayed with me all these years. What wonderful gifts our families give us so we can carry on into our lives filled with both good and bad! YES! I’m hoping! Thank you for your starry words!

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  3. Ah “admire the many blue paintings hanging in the gallery of my childhood heart.” This spoke to me too, how powerful, and all those special blue ⭐️ Yes I create many to do lists, but might have to start starring ⭐️🦋⭐️them. Thanks for all the blue hope, stars, and images, holding them all close to my heart💙this week Jama!

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  4. What I love about Richard’s poem is it begins in obligation and routine but it ends with the joy of seeing the world with new eyes, new heart. I’m a victim? addicted to? fan of? to-do lists, only until I realize I am captive. I’m vowing –as my Year of the Weddings comes to a close, to make the coming days my Year of Play. And I will not organize it with a list 🙂

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  5. Oh, what a gorgeous poem! The line about paintings in the gallery of my childhood heart stopped me blue and I had to blink back tears — and your explication is equally gorgeous. This summer I learned to tell a dark-eyed junco from the several species of sparrows that frequent our backyard feeders (thanks to the Merlin ID bird app) — isn’t it astounding the intimate connections a timeless poem makes? Thank you for blue stars on this first day of November, Jama — lets let our to-do lists wait for another day.

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    1. You’re spot on about poetry making intimate connections with readers. Haven’t seen any juncos here in awhile, but congrats on identifying one. The squirrels make it impossible to have feeders and I do miss identifying new birds.

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  6. Jama, your interpretation of giving away his blue paintings sounds spot-on to me! I also loved “azure reverie!”

    Fingers crossed that blue dreams come true this Tuesday!

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    1. I do like how Jones’s poems are open to many interpretations. Glad you agree with my take — I’m sure others have interesting ones too.

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  7. “Heart’s resolution”…lovely! It reminds me of my One Little Word and wondering what word I am going to pick for next year. “Open” has been wonderful this year.

    I like your to-do list, although I am curious about vacuuming bears 🙂

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    1. LOL. Vacuuming bears is on my ongoing list. Our furry friends get dusty sitting around and often ask to be vacuumed (but I never seem to get around to it). Tedious task.

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  8. Thank you for sharing, Jama. I do have to do lists, but usually they deal with the mundane. However, why can’t the everyday chores & necessities and guilty pleasures be a poem! Here goes: Watch Days of our Lives at 6am, take a lovely long walk at the local beach boardwalk stopping to read periodically to read my book The Lost Boy of Santa Chiona by Juliet Grames, try my recipe for stuffed peppers with butternut squash…Say my prayers for our divided country.🙏🏼

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    1. I like your list — not mundane at all! I’m curious about the book you’re currently reading, and that recipe sounds yummy (we love butternut squash!). Yes, we do need to pray for our divided country — feels like it’s getting worse. Hopefully we’ll be able to turn the page with a brand new female President!

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  9. That last line tells us so much about the speaker in the poem! Pretty sure the to-do list is lost on the regular, but the intentions are definitely good!

    I’m an inveterate list-maker. I’ve made a list of everything I intend to do on Tuesday. First up is work the polls all day, but when I get home, I am going to bear witness to the news (in small doses) as I write, read, paint, stitch, and bake my way to (hoping hoping hoping) our new BLUE future.

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  10. Oh, I just love this poem and the tension between the “to do list” (what’s deemed important) and the internal meanderings that carry so much weight and meaning. There’s much that can be discovered when you’re lingering at the doorway, looking at the birds, and noticing the slow release of frost. This is a poem to linger with–maybe I’ll add that to my own list…Thanks for sharing this poem today, Jama.

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  12. Jama, this is what I needed on this Election Day Eve. Yes, to BLUE STARS. Your post is beautifully blue and hope-filled. I write to-do lists. I’m going to try to remember to check off the items with blue stars next time!

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  13. Jama, I am sorry that I did not respond to your lovely Blue post earlier. I had the grandgirls this weekend. I mulled over the poem you shared last night and this morning when the results were announced. Our world will go through a dramatic change but I HOPE that blue stars will “hang in the gallery of my childhood heart” so optimism can sprinkle the earth. (My random thoughts)

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