Says the old man on the street corner to me one day:

"Baby, the stars shine bright," he says.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't you get it, baby?
The stars don't worry about whether they are doing it wrong
or right
or inside out
or upside down.
They don't.
Stars don't follow the trends
or buy up all the expensive clothes in the world
just for the sake of being chic and cool.
Stars don't care about what other people say
or what they may think.
A star is just concerned with being a star.
A star is meant to shine, so she does.
A star is meant to stay up there, in that sky,
and twinkle for all she's worth in the world.
You never get anything less than that from a star.
She never tries to be a black hole
or a supernova.
If she's meant to become those things,
she'll become those things
in time, when she's ready.
When she's meant to be,
she'll be the most spectacular nova you've ever seen.
But not before.
Before she's a super nova,
she's meant to be a star.
And that's all she'll ever be.
All she ever wants to be really.

Baby, the stars shine bright."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying baby,
that all things come in their own good time.
You can't force these things upon yourself.
You can summon them like magic
and call them on the telephone.
But you can't make come what won't.
So what if you don't got yourself any money, baby?
So what?
I ain't got a nickel in the world
and I am still just happy to me.
You got to be your own damn star in this universe
else you'll end up getting too heavy
and falling from the sky.
Stars are all pretty and nice
when they are up in that sky
being all sparkly and mysterious.
Ain't nothing more than ice and dust when they fall down.
Don't be ice.
Don't be dust, baby.
Be sparkly.
Be Mystery.
The Universe comes to mysterious.
Wants to know what's up with that.
Doesn't want to know what's up
with dust and ice.
Dust and ice is just dust and ice,
you know?"

I say,
"I know,"
and walk away.