Stars Above
A narrative sci-fi poem written by Feifei Z in Winter 2022. First published in Soft Star Magazine, Issue 2 in January 2023. Photo of Moon And Venus by Feifei Z.
I. Saariselkä, 2022
Sleep eludes the actress.
She sheds the threadbare duvet.
Tiptoe, tiptoe, out the glass igloo.
Into the cold embrace of a Finnish night.
ㅤ
Heavenward, the constellations.
Grinning Archer and angry Goat.
Water-Bearer fair, the Scorpion leers.
The Scales can no longer be seen.
ㅤ
Temperance. Killed by dating scandals.
Prowling haters with frothing mouths.
Idols, dolls, trinkets, and the 27 Club.
Star power shines brighter brighter bright.
ㅤ
The actress launches the compass
on her brand new smartphone.
Calibrate, tilt it, calibrate, tilt.
Aim the needle, find True North.
ㅤ
Cold air knives her nostrils.
She peers up, sees the aurora borealis,
jade ribbons on the gown of Night,
viridian river, ethereal delight.
ㅤ
Stillness. No screams. No cameras.
Surrounded by the sky and snow,
the actress is smaller than a speck
of fairy dust from her childhood tales.
ㅤ
The needle snaps north. Her smile flowers,
a resilient plum blossom unfazed
by the cold, beastly, suited men.
Cruel comments about her body forgotten.
ㅤ
There is only her and the stars above.
The roiling waves of time bury all.
Even so, she will not forget her people.
Before her, with her, and after her.
ㅤ
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II. Tokyo, 2083
Sleep eludes the artist.
She crawls out of bed.
Dons her glittery cybernetic suit.
Sweeps onto the neon-soaked streets.
ㅤ
Heavenward, holographic dancers,
cavorting to slapping footsteps on white concrete.
Android girls flaunt hourglass bodies.
Red-eyed children beam at holographic koi.
ㅤ
Humanity. Buoyed by computers.
Information overload in laggy headsets.
Science, technology, engineering, and math.
Fill the collective grail with new inventions.
ㅤ
The artist slips into an alleyway,
press her index fingers to a mossy console.
Seams race down the building’s side.
A door. Enter. Lock it behind you.
ㅤ
Warm cheers resound from a round table
where eleven creatives are seated.
Ukulele and palette and notepad.
Thespian masks and microphones.
ㅤ
Laughter. No gadgets. No scarcity.
Surrounded by friends and lovers,
the artist unveils her latest sketches
of an old movie in the Finnish mountains.
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Oohs and aahs fill the dim room.
“Look at the Northern Lights.”
“Hey, the lead is a Japanese actress!”
“It’s so nice to see someone like us.”
ㅤ
There is the actress and the stars above.
The twelve artists who breathe life
into creations with no wires and gears.
And all the ones who will come after.
© Written by Feifei Z (2022)
© Photo of Moon And Venus by Feifei Z (2024)
Feifei Z (张飞飞) is a Chinese storyteller and the keeper of Wheel-37, which is a megaverse of twelve realms that celebrates diverse communities reclaiming their power. When not indulging in her artistic projects, she enjoys listening to music from around the world, watching C-Dramas, and appreciating nature.