By Teslim Oluwatobiloba
They said we are far away,
They said I am not bright,
They said I am too small,
They said I am different from the others.
They even said we don’t shine,
As brightly as the others in the sky.
They also said I only appear on certain days.
They even called me selfish,
Perhaps because I do not associate with others.
The majority do not know my importance;
Many simply admire me alongside the rest.
For many, when they look up at the sky,
Do not even notice me.
Some even question my existence.
Because, to the best of their knowledge,
I do not bring the rain.
I do not give them the sun.
Rather, they think I do nothing at all.
Just up there, trying so hard to make an impact.
But those who study me
Appreciate me, love me,
And care about me,
Because they understand my importance.
Yet those who truly know me are few,
For even studying me
It is another mountain to climb.
But who am I? Where do I stay?
I know myself well,
Better than anyone else ever could.
I stay far away,
Deep within the sky called the Universe.
I know what people think of me,
But does it affect me? No.
Because those are their thoughts,
Not mine.
I try hard,
Yet they do not notice.
I work hard,
But distance makes it difficult for them to see.
I may not be the loudest,
But my voice should still count.
Even if I am not close to them,
The truth about me
Should still be known.
But wait, why do I care so much
About people's perception of me?
There is nothing I can do about it.
They have their minds,
And I have mine.
Can I control theirs? No.
Then why bother? ….
It is hard moving on,
Yet I refuse to let their perception
Change who I am.
So, once again,
Who am I?
I am the stars.
