Eclipsing
October 12, 2023, 8:30 pm Pacific
ambling along the bush and berm
we were strange company
shuffling shoes and shifting sand
trailing whispers across the camp
a crowd of shadows, a nameless choir
musing over waves and fire
flocking together sight unknown
gathering afield as we roamed
missionary roads, uneven and old
with stories muffled and untold
we followed, not looking forward
we stepped, not glancing down
Joe cried a sudden sound but already
like those before us who walked before
our eyes were watching Infinity’s floor
agape at each asteroid, each void
woven within those velvet folds
prospecting black for skyward gold
meteors and moons sailing arcs
swimming amongst the streams of stars
lingering along the phantom thread
circling space and sea once red
we glimpsed Arcturus at the horizon
gossamer ghost of the summer sun
golden orange against midnight blue
lucid in its luminous hue
refracting heartbeat in retreat
Bearish ward rising ever East
North Star in its celestial sight
sweet delight in endless night
casting visions over the astral plane
perpetual notions in refrain
constructing our mind palaces
under their metal sky palaces
questions dreamed within our dreams
we searched for Tiangong yet unseen
moments ticked, seconds counted
eyes tricked, debate mounted
may fortune favor this evening's lesson
contemplating all those under heaven
when lo we caught it, just in time
a human-made comet curving
careening over our lifted faces
scintillations in its silent wake
blazing through its foregone flight
diving into the darkness of night
a memory in temporal motion
vanishing into invisible seams
brilliant in its invisible beams
still, here we are finding our place
plotting the paths starlight traces
from past to present meeting
convening in our eyes tonight
we imagined what it would take
to sweep through the Milky Way
scale from coin to continent
to cross the cosmic chasm
traversing matter to mind
composing dust into design
panning across the great glass bowl
galaxies floating from pole to pole
we witnessed twin flames starlit
heavenly bodies tangled in orbit
blinking twice in their melody
flickering in one binary symphony
souls in revolutions steadfast
gravity’s ballet makes a dance
between seeing and not knowing
a candle of ice still glowing
what is near and what is far
what is bright and what is dark
here beside the Western shore
stellar specters yet to explore
strewn across the empty deep
what to seek before we sleep
there beyond the cliffs and coast
countless quests for futures unknown
a life with purpose still life unsure
in pursuit of the forevermore
can we measure what we can glean
can we eclipse what we can dream