Polishing the Stars

Somebody Has To
By Shel Silverstein
Somebody has to go polish the stars,
They’re looking a little bit dull.
Somebody has to go polish the stars,
For the eagles and starlings and gulls
Have all been complaining they’re tarnished and worn,
They say they want new ones we cannot afford.
So please get your rags
And your polishing jars,
Somebody has to go polish the stars.

This is part of the cleaning crew at the high school I worked at last year. I know at least one of the guys is missing if not more, and I’m sorry about that. “Thank you for coming in early and shoveling the sidewalks when they were covered in snow. Thanks for cleaning up all our garbage, and no one ever notices.”
He says, “You Did.”

It was the last day of school. He knew I was moving. He asked me, “Aren’t you sad?”
At the moment I wasn’t. I said, “No, I’m taking it all in. I’m excited. And I thought about it. I said, “Actually it’s bittersweet, yep.” I told him you’re a lot better than the creepy guy who kept hitting on me at another school I worked at, in the past.
He sort of squeezed my hand, looked into my eyes, smiled, and rushed off, “Well if you weren’t so cute, you can’t blame him.”

Last night I was thinking that my grandpa polished the stars, and so does my cousin. To all star polishers everywhere, I am grateful.