“The Falling Star”
by Sara Teasdale
I saw a star slide down the sky,
Blinding the north as it went by,
Too burning and too quick to hold,
Too lovely to be bought or sold,
Good only to make wishes on
And then forever to be gone.
I haven’t seen a shooting star in a long time, but last night when I let the dog out I looked up at just the right moment. After a long, busy day, the blaze of that meteor was a gift; a reminder to take a deep breath and enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Teasdale describes the sight perfectly in “The Falling Star,” a poem I discovered years ago in Nancy Larrick’s anthology, Piping Down the Valleys Wild.
Laura Purdie Salas is hosting the Poetry Friday Round Up on her blog today. Be sure to stop by to find out about her wonderful new project, 30 Painless Classroom Poems: What’s Inside? Poems to Explore the Park.
Reading to the Core 
Lovely poem, Catherine. Loved these lines:
Too burning and too quick to hold,
Too lovely to be bought or sold
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This is my kind of poem–so brief and brilliant and sensory. I love it–thanks for sharing!
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Lovely poem – thanks for sharing! Would tag team nicely with Amy’s “Big Dipper” post at The Poem Farm today. :0)
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You’re right. This goes perfectly with the Wendell Berry I shared for PF! Lucky you to look up at just the right time. …or maybe that one was waiting for you to look up…
🙂
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What a gift, Catherine! I hope you made a wish. 🙂 Love that first line of the Teasdale poem– a star sliding down the sky is such a great image.
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I love that anthology, Catherine, good ones always to find and enjoy. It always made me sad that when I saw a falling star, I knew it was long gone by the time its sight reached us. Still, it is magical to see.
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I’m always amazed when I “look up at just the right moment” – what if was a second or two later? I’m glad you saw this streak of light that inspired you to share this poem. Thank you. = )
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Congratulations Catherine! Looks like you did make a wish and it came true! You won the copy of DEAR WANDERING WILDEBEEST from Today’s Little Ditty. Please email me at Michelle (at) MichelleHBarnes (dot) com with your address and dedication details. 🙂
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