It feels like there are no stars here, nothing shines

As bright as the tinsel on the tree

A reminder that all that glitter are not astral 

And light reflected upon the glass

Is just that. Light from a man-made tree

In a world contorted by man. 

The night sky lies silent in the haze 

Winter fires draw a blanket 

Over my city. Smoke and fog 

And fog and smoke, when it clears

Deep in the night, I still have reason to smile.

For despite the sham and the shame 

Through the gore and all the games,

There is one star that shines just for me. 

It feels like the end of the world

Although you said it couldn’t be. Nothing was.

Yet, sometimes hopelessness overwhelms me. 

I go through the motions as expected

I nod, I smile, I even raise a toast

Laugh a little laugh and say something funny

Is that funny, then? When the world tilts 

For those who are hurting, when you look at it

From the other side? Which side is smarter?

What is it that lingers when you leave the room? 

I wonder what I will leave behind. 

The memories that will one day fade

Drying like the shelf you forget to dust. 

And gardenias that have long been dead. 

Those are all that remain 

Gardenias that have long been dead

And a star that shines 

Just for me.