a small measure

a small measure

a small measure

stars are born, people die
more stars than people
by far reborn as stars

and more stars than grains of sand
the number of grains of sand?
(7.5 x 10 ¹⁸ grains of sand) 
seven quintillion, five hundred-
quadrillion grains we believe
(give or take a few grains of sand)

the number of stars, 70 thousand million,
million, million stars (the same number
as molecules in ten drops of water)

so there are more worlds
in eleven of your teardrops
than stars (or grains of sand)