Their writing often explores themes of introspection, love, loss, and resilience
“The Joke of the Stars”
A Poem by Rayne LaDuex
There are nights when I step outside, tilt my head back, and laugh… not at the moon, not at the stars, not at the dark, but at myself. At this fragile body, these restless thoughts, this insistence that the universe owes me some kind of explanation. The cosmos stretches in every direction, a yawning sprawl of silence, and here I am… spinning stories about heartbreak, deadlines, and calories. It’s absurd theater.
We are irrelevant. Not in the cruel, dismissive sense, but in the mathematical one. The universe does not notice us because it has no eyes. Galaxies churn without pause, black holes dine on suns, and still we bicker over parking spaces and Wi-Fi speeds. A meteor could end us before I finish this sentence, and the constellations would not flinch. The stars will not dim for our funerals.
But here’s the twist, irrelevance is a kind of freedom. If the cosmos has no script for us, then we aren’t actors bound to someone else’s play. We are improv artists, stumbling across the stage, making it up as we go. Every mistake, every triumph, every kiss and collapse… it all belongs to us. Meaning isn’t handed down from the sky; it’s carved into the dirt with bare hands.
Cosmic irrelevance whispers that your heartbreak doesn’t matter to the universe, but it matters to you, and maybe that’s enough. It says your art will never be seen by the Andromeda Galaxy, but the neighbor’s kid might pick up your book and feel less alone. Maybe the truth is this: we are small, laughably so, but smallness has its own kind of intimacy. A candle flame doesn’t light the night sky, but it can still keep two people warm.
So yes, the cosmos is vast and indifferent, and we are a blip. A quiver of dust on dust. But when I laugh under the stars, it’s not despair I feel… it’s relief. Relief that the weight of infinity isn’t mine to carry. Relief that I am free to make this brief flicker of existence mean whatever I dare.
And when I finally burn out, I hope the stars keep their silence. Let them be indifferent. Let them spin on. For in that irrelevance, I found reason enough to love, to suffer, to create, to be.
Rayne LaDuex is a passionate writer of poetry and short stories that delve into the raw and often unspoken facets of human experience. Drawing inspiration from the quiet moments of life and the intricate emotions that weave our stories, LaDuex creates work that is both deeply personal and universally resonant. Their writing often explores themes of introspection, love, loss, and resilience.
In addition to writing, LaDuex balances creativity with a career in project management and serves their community as a high school football coach, helping to mentor and inspire the next generation. They find harmony between structure and imagination, weaving these experiences into their art. Silence is their debut collection, a heartfelt offering to those who find solace in words and the spaces between them.
Order Silence here.
Summary
‘Rayne LaDuex’s “The Joke of the Stars” reflects on our cosmic insignificance, embracing the freedom it brings. The poet invites us to find meaning and comfort not from the vast indifference of the universe, but within ourselves and our intimate connections. This contemplative piece turns irrelevance into liberation—encouraging acceptance, resilience, and the beauty of forging our own purpose in a fleeting existence.
