Stars

I look into heaven
tonight, as I stay awake and tend to the fire,
watching my children sleep
on the soft, cool grass.
I have many children;
one for each star.

One son, though,
is hundreds of years away.
He's looking at the heavens, too,
but with a telescope instead of his eyes.
He says the stars are all just suns.
Which is true.
And that, since light travels so slowly,
and the stars are so far away,
they're already dead
by the time we can see them.
Which is also true.

He has no hope.
He is hopeless.
But he says that I'm hopeless, too, so
Who knows?