“She is the Sun” by Lauren Brace
She dances along the ecliptic
Admiring the strength of Aries, the confidence of Leo, the intelligence of Aquarius
Gathering her power as she soars
Pulling the planets, her friends, in an arc of gratitude and celebration
They scowl at her greed yet rejoice in her splendor
Such a fragile thing, this balance she must maintain
Even eclipsed with such burden, she goes on
Pulsing in her glory, her vibrance, her brilliance
Day by day, she passes the meridian
Changing her wavelengths, her stride
Sending out cries at the speed of light
Of her need, her longing, to be loved
To be praised
To be validated in her unending efforts
A fabulous spectrum of color
Rays raining down in her reign over her subjects
Together, hurtling through the galaxy
At the speed few can comprehend
The unsung work she does
In this universe of celestial bodies
Orbiting the center
The center of the universe
She must find her place among the stars
Rising, falling, rising, and falling once more
Time is merely an illusion for the infinite cycles she performs
Only those who look closely see her weakness
The dark spots in which she has been bruised
Her imperfections made apparent
Damaged
The thing she tries to hide
The pieces of her skin that have grown cold
She is forever changed by her experiences
Those who despise
And those who believe
Summoning her strength, holding her head up
Before the masses and all those who doubted her
She will rise, she will fall, and rise again