Stars are beautiful, but they may not take part in anything, they must just look on forever.
― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

The earth slowly and deliberately turns away from the face of the sun. The light on North America starts to fade and the light on Asia grows. But my job is the North America pre sleepers, those Wishers as we call them.

Star light. Star bright. First star I see tonight. I wish I may. I wish I might have the wish, I wish tonight.

I hear this over and over again. It repeats itself one on top of one another. Over and under, a great rhythm and melody of the world. It’s that quiet, consistent hum you in your ears that makes the whole world feel far away. It’s comforting and alienating all at once.

This is my everyday. I hear the wishes from the world below. It’s their night time but when I go to work. As the sun sets, we wake up and the music of the wishes begins. Slowly at first as North comes out, but then the “star light” chorus begins.

Star. Light. Star light. Star. Light. Star bright, bright, bright, bright. I wish wish wish wish I may. I wish I might. Have the wisssssh, I wish tonight.

Then the wish itself comes. Quieter than the wish music. Sometimes I have to listen hard to hear the wishes, but I always catch it. The wishes can be so wonderful and hopeful that I can’t contain the happiness. Other wishes are the force of a battering ram, heartbreaking and lonely. I can’t help but cry.

So many emotions in your world. How do you contain them all on your planet?

Your little ones will wish for interesting things. Sometimes it’s simple like chocolate ice cream for dinner, but other times they wish for a mommy or daddy. Then there are wishes like wishing their brother turning into a frog. I laugh. Your little ones are wonderful.

I don’t have the power to do any of those things. To make their wishes come true. I wish I could but that’s not how I work. I listen. It’s my job and they need me. To be truthful, I need them. My strength wanes when the wish song grows quiet. If we weaken too much our light wanes.

A wish – even the heartbreaking ones – strengthens longer than lack of belief, but the negative and cynicism hit harder.