I
Sightings
Dropping her handkerchief,
She continued
Walking up the steps.

Picking up her handkerchief,
He wrapped it in stars
Before returning it to her.

Dropping a piece of paper,
Containing the map
Of a small village in the south of France,
She left.

Later,
Meeting for the first time
In the house,
Which she had designated
On the map for their meeting,
They fell in love.

II
Yearnings
Years passed
As the Astronomer worked in the Old Observatory,
And the Chief Librarian in her Library of Maps.

One night,
While working late,
She looked out of the Library’s window
To see a falling star.

At the same time,
In his observatory,
He heard her voice
Reading from a book
That described
The World of Falling Stars.

by Moira Roth
Written 7/08/02