My Private Wobegon

stories from home

m/twelve
By Vernon Waring

emily had
leukemia
but was in
remission
we wanted
to let her
know how
special she
was so we
sent away to
a mail order
place in
new hampshire
where for
forty five
dollars they
sell you
title to a
star in the
sky and you
name the star
after someone
and they
send you a
celestial map
that is all
blueprint blue
with spidery
white lines
compass points
big red dots
so we checked
the map out
and found the
designated
location of
what we named
the emily star
situated at the
intersection of
m and twelve
m/twelve on
the celestial
map a star in
a cluster of
stars in the
sword handle
of perseus the
brochure said

one freezing cold
night we all saw
the emily star
blinking like
the only light
on a tiny
christmas tree
but we could
see it clear
enough no need
for a telescope
or anything and
we cheered and
cried and talked
about god and
love and life

then two weeks
ago right after
emily got real
sick again
we looked up
and noticed that
the emily star
was gone and
we just looked
at each other and
quietly bowed
our heads and
went inside

Vernon Waring
Vernon Waring has been writing poetry since his undergraduate days at Temple University. Since then, he has been a newspaper reporter, feature editor, and public relations account executive; he is currently employed in the quality control department of a Philadelphia printing company.

His work has appeared in The Iconoclast, the Alabama School of Fine Arts Poetry Quarterly, the Midwestern University Quarterly, MAYA, the Stylus, New Dimensions, and The Writer.

Vernon resides in Philadelphia with his wife Kathleen. His daughter, Beth Clayton, lives in a nearby suburb and has presented her parents with two lively additions to mark the millennium: granddaughter Drew, who turned two in January, and grandson Gabriel, born in December of 2001.

Vernon can be reached via email at: VKWaring@webtv.net.