Parts of Me

Aeolian and Ionian

Aeolian and Ionian

Were both star children, it’s true

You may doubt me, for star children

Are so scattered and so few.

But these two were twins

And completely alike

Though they’d often squabble,

And oftentimes they’d fight:

“I bet if Mother let us,”

Whispered Ionian one dusky morn,

“I could fly from one end of the Heavens

To the other, before the coming dawn.”

Aeolian snorted, and raised her eyes in doubt,

Then a smile overcame her face;

“I bet I’d do it in half the time,

Want to have a race?”

Aeolian and Ionian

Had also had a sister

And though she was rarely spoken of

They both dearly missed her.

Lifian had been the sister’s name,

She was older than the twins

But she had been a fabulous playmate

And so this has never bothered them.

When Ionian was asleep

That fateful night, ten years ago,

Aeolian had watched as Lifian

Snuck from the Heavens and to the Earth below.

Aeolian had always thought

The planet of Man was strange,

And as she watched a human’s distrust of Lifian

Her opinion did not change.

But Aeolian was still hurt when Lifian said

That all in the Heavens were boring

And she needed a new playmate

Or soon she would be snoring.

That was when Aeolian turned away

And that is how she missed

The chance to warn dear Lifian

Of the Dawn’s impending fist.

For when a child of the stars

Stays the night at Earth

They must remember to come home

Before the arrival of Dawn and her mirth.

The light of Dawn

Dissolves star children

Like they were but morning dew;

And she gives a sly grin.

Aeolian remembered this with

Sad tears in her eyes:

She’d never told her Mother

She was the reason Lifian died.

But Ionian too has a treasured secret

That she (and only she) did know.

Ionian, you see, followed Lifian

That fated night, ten years ago.

Ionian, unlike Aeolian

Hadn’t had the chance to save

Lifian, for Ionian was a silly girl

And on Earth love she craved.

The star child did look beautiful:

She’d make any boy’s heart flutter,

She smiled a smile sweet as honey

And melted their insides like butter.

The boy she met, her “one true love”

Was eleven, and called Ben.

He told her they were friends

But this was not enough for Ionian.

She flew from the planet that

She did now despise.

Her first love had broken her heart;

There were many things he implied:

“You’re a strange girl, Ionian,

And strange too is your name

You are quite a beautiful creature

Whom I believe has much ill fame.”

And now Aeolian and Ionian

Now both blamed themselves

For what had happened to Lifian,

No further into the matter did they delve.

I do wish those twin sisters realised

It was neither of their faults

And neither was it Lifian’s:

The Forest of Guile had proved them all dolts.