Swiftly Flying Shadow Bands
Swiftly Flying Shadow Bands
Published in The Blue Nib Literary Magazine
inspired by the eclipse in the summer of 2017
what sky is this
with dragons winged
wolves with mouths
for gulping suns
where Orion went to hunt
the grounds
held bright by Rigel, Betelgeuse
where Aquila arched, swooped
winging the summer sky
for Altair afire
where banished to northern horizons
Callisto and Arcas
patrol Polaris, Cassiopeia hovering near
entreating Vega bid Lyra play
who could sooth anger raging
lull jaded souls serene
where Jovian moons bejeweled by Galileo
join Kepler’s Laws, Huygen’s rings
blazing open our skies for Hubble to view the beginning
where doomed stars ghost into dust
coalescing into sentience
while Voyager wanders heavens
when Luna devours our star
the wrath of gods unknown
casting darkness on earth
and violet seas of shade
tsunami the last utterances of light
consuming and calming
flitting silently over our home
dancing in the grey
a visible wind evanescent
in the terrestrial atmosphere
only a visitor among
constellations ancient
swiftly flying shadow bands
hanging poised in path of totality
rippling a refraction portending cosmic omens bad
when the sun abandoned the earth
eaten by the moon
to cries of, “What sky is this?”
Published in The Blue Nib Literary Magazine
inspired by the eclipse in the summer of 2017
what sky is this
with dragons winged
wolves with mouths
for gulping suns
where Orion went to hunt
the grounds
held bright by Rigel, Betelgeuse
where Aquila arched, swooped
winging the summer sky
for Altair afire
where banished to northern horizons
Callisto and Arcas
patrol Polaris, Cassiopeia hovering near
entreating Vega bid Lyra play
who could sooth anger raging
lull jaded souls serene
where Jovian moons bejeweled by Galileo
join Kepler’s Laws, Huygen’s rings
blazing open our skies for Hubble to view the beginning
where doomed stars ghost into dust
coalescing into sentience
while Voyager wanders heavens
when Luna devours our star
the wrath of gods unknown
casting darkness on earth
and violet seas of shade
tsunami the last utterances of light
consuming and calming
flitting silently over our home
dancing in the grey
a visible wind evanescent
in the terrestrial atmosphere
only a visitor among
constellations ancient
swiftly flying shadow bands
hanging poised in path of totality
rippling a refraction portending cosmic omens bad
when the sun abandoned the earth
eaten by the moon
to cries of, “What sky is this?”