If All The Stars
If all the stars were peppermints,
Then you could lie in bed
And breathe night air alive with hints
Of kindness overhead—
Fresh, cool, clean air from farther north
Than you have ever been,
From somewhere heavenlier than earth—
A sweeter oxygen—
And you might dream about a tree
You knew but now is gone,
A tree to swing on, climb, and be
A friend to until dawn.
Then you could lie in bed
And breathe night air alive with hints
Of kindness overhead—
Fresh, cool, clean air from farther north
Than you have ever been,
From somewhere heavenlier than earth—
A sweeter oxygen—
And you might dream about a tree
You knew but now is gone,
A tree to swing on, climb, and be
A friend to until dawn.
This poem is copyright (©) Charles Hughes 2023

About the Writer
Charles Hughes
Charles has published two books of poems for adults, The Evening Sky (2020) and Cave Art (2014), both from Wiseblood Books. He used to work as a lawyer but now works at writing poems.