This is the story of a now-extinct star,
In a corner of the universe, from Earth far.
A great many centuries ago
(Perhaps three thousand years or so),
Some people there began to claim and believe
(I don’t know if it was true, or just to deceive)
That God had appeared in a dream to a man,
One of the chieftains of their clan,
Saying, “This star’s now yours and your dependents.
It’ll remain so down through all your descendants.
I promise the whole of the star, and not just some,
As a gift to you and your offspring for all time to come.”
God had chosen him, the people claimed of this man,
As part of what they said was a grand cosmic plan,
And had placed him over all other folks far above,
Treating him and his tribe with a special love.
These people then went on to boastfully claim
(Was this all just a sinister land-grabbing game?)
That God had also very clearly willed
That all who resisted them should be killed
And their share of the star be forcibly taken,
Declaring these folks as by God forsaken.
They claimed that God had appointed their race
As a very special recipient of Divine grace,
And that He with them would always go
As they marched to conquer their every foe,
For, they said God held them especially dear,
And regarded all other folks as chattel mere,
Worthy simply of being reduced to slavery.
See how far these people went in their knavery!
This tribe demanded that all other tribes surrender,
And to them all the land they had hand render,
Saying that they could now live on the star no more,
Along with this, they issued a declaration of war.
And so began a campaign of bloody conquest
Waged by this tribe against all the rest.
The other tribes put up a very brave fight,
Resisting the invaders with all their might.
For a very long time a terrible war continued,
With occasional lulls and then being renewed.
Finally, the fighting became very severe,
And the star was filled with fury and fear.
It just could no longer bear anymore
The huge burden of hate and of war.
Tired of being used as a battleground mere,
It decided that it would now simply disappear.
And so, one day, the star suddenly vanished,
And with it, all the folks there were banished,
Disappearing into the Great Void, into Nothingness sheer,
Thus came to an end the star that was once so dear.
Oh how truly tragic is the story
Of a star that once basked in glory!
It’s a story filled with strife and gore,
Of a beautiful bit of the universe that’s now no more.
See how a claim about a mere dream can result
In such a grave end, and in such terrible tumult!
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