The Imperishable Stars

• Vishnu Sivamogga, Grade 11, Caringbah High School
• Poetry
• 2022

Finalist in the 'Unleashed 2022' competition

The aggregate of our joy and suffering,
Of wars fought, of memory’s scars,
Of disillusioned dreams and hopeless endeavours,
On a mote of dust amongst the imperishable stars.
We reach for the heavens armed with ingenuity,
For a future free of our hindering bars,
Yet, time marches on, heedless of our pleas,
And we are at the mercy of the imperishable stars.
We stand on towers wrought by the shoulders of giants,
From which we launch ourselves to colonise Mars,
Yet, despite our height, our sight is limited,
Limited by the will of the imperishable stars.
Still, we fight our petty wars fiercely,
Blinded, burning our home, its face marred,
Failing to see our origins and fate,
In the infinite marrow of the imperishable stars.