Committed to PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO KNOW Vol. 5 Num 200 Wed. December 15, 2004       Letters to Editor Starry nights in winter Estelle Mahnuma, Fraulein M. Chaudhury, Via e-mail Every year on December 29 and for the first week of January it is a wonderful time to observe the night sky. Mercury is a small planet and it represents communication and the messenger of the gods in ancient mythology. The reason I am saying this is because Mercury gives me the spirit to communicate. The night sky is clear and all the beautiful stars are visible. The stars are like shimmering angels that come to visit the Earth with a message of peace. In the night sky I can see the sparkling dance of the stars and the moonbeams. Estelle is like the star and Mahnuma is the moonbeams. Maybe I can paint the sky with stars. Enya can "paint the sky with stars." The painting of Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh is a creative way of describing a star. What I like most about Van Gogh is that his paintings and images look like they are moving because of the way he used the paintbrush. The stars are fiery, blazing circles. As I stand on a mountain in New Mexico, or Colorado, or New York, I'll raise my hand since the sky is so close to my hand, and I'll reach as high as the highest star. A star is a fiery blaze that lights up the sky. The dark night sky covered with stars is one of the most beautiful sights, especially in the icy cold winter night. While I stand on this planet, I see the stars. Sometimes there is one bright star, sometimes the sky is covered with hundreds of stars. Sometimes a star is a glimmer or a sign of hope that maybe life on Earth will be peaceful and just. Sometimes the star is a guide to the prophet Jesus and sometimes the star is a token from an angel. The Sufis and the saints have referred in many ways to the stars. While Noah sails in the flood, perhaps he will find a guiding star. But people are so greedy in the city, they just never look at the stars. I go up to the roof every evening and observe the stars. Stars are signs of enchantment, magical moments, and fairies. The sparkling jewels of stars are in my notebook and on my shirt. There are stars on my wall. Stars in the winter sky. "This night will not be like any night. This night the stars will all shine bright." I love the stars. I hope that like the Little Prince that Exupery created, we will find a planet of peace. "We all live together in a planet of the sun" but when the night arrives it becomes a planet of moonbeams and stars. If a person sees a shooting star, he or she can make a wish. Starlight, star bright, stardust. My first wish upon a star would be that everyone should wear clothes that are simple and practical (not wasteful). Another wish would be that I would continue travelling to many places. And since the stars are shining in January, perhaps we can hope for a better year.