Congratulations on winning the contest!

I love the tone of your poem, and the angle you took! Your attitude throughout is amazing, and it really shows strength and determination to not be dragged down, to not let the past completely destroy you or capture your future either. Really uplifting poem!

Amazing metaphors also, especially in the beginning of the poem when you are describing that other character!

I also really like the word use of

"so I kept you at a fingertipped distance"

- never heard this used before and I think it worked extremely well here!

when stargazing suddenly meant
looking inwardly, instead of upward

-- another amazing line - what a really powerful view to take, and inspiring message also to look more inside of ourselves for the answers and not on the outside!

Really great direction you went with this, and I also loved your title choice, using that universe which you have used within the poem!

Well done girl!

I am in love with this.

It was then,
when stargazing suddenly meant
looking inwardly, instead of upward,
^
This is so perfectly worded. Probably my favorite lines in the poem. Although I just loved all of it.

conveniently distorting the word
"forever" to be a seven-starred
painted picture immortally
showcased upon my
sternum.
^
This brought to my mind those cool looking mandala tattoos that are probably painful as all hell, but so beautiful. Again, prefect wording.

Definitely one of my new favorite poems.

This is absolutely awesome.
A real journey through life exposing the innermost feelings that could so easily have overcome the writer yet allowed her in the end to rise above them and use her strength and courage to remain hopeful.