Photo of the Milky Way galaxy.‘Dark Sky’ by Joseph Stuart The Society January 1, 2023 Beauty, Poetry 6 Comments . Dark Sky Back home, the dark is overborne By a billion busy diodes Emitting artificial light, Thence seeping out into the night. But, up here, there are auroras, Constellations, and nebulae— Or so the motel owners say: “Last week, we saw the Milky Way.” So, we wind through wooded headlands To join a remnant, dousing lamps, Spraying mists of citronella, Lying down and looking stellar. Like unto ancients gazing up To see a billion burning fires Ages past—a cloud of witness Now revealed, but just in darkness. . . Joseph Stuart is a lawyer living and practicing in Northern Virginia. He maintains a blog here: https://mightyinditers.typepad.com/hereunder/ NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 6 Responses Satyananda Sarangi January 1, 2023 New Year greetings! I found this poem full of mystery and mastery. The rhyme scheme was striking and unusual. Thanks for this. Reply Paul Buchheit January 1, 2023 A journey into the stars….very mystical and poetic, Joseph! Reply Jeremiah Johnson January 1, 2023 Joseph, I like the steady pull of your meter that doesn’t let up until the last stanza. And I love how in that last stanza you tie your experience to that which mankind has known for thousands of years. What town were you in? Crestone, Colorado, by any chance? Reply Joe Stuart January 5, 2023 Thanks for your kind comment. We visited Headlands Dark Sky Park outside of Mackinaw City, Michigan at the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula. Reply C.B. Anderson January 2, 2023 A good poem should say a lot in few words, and this poem epitomizes that ideal. Your easy transitions, Joseph, from the mundane vernacular to the numinous trans-human bespeak a delicate grasp of the principles of logico-temporal fluidity and a firm understanding of the techniques of rhetoric. Your relaxed meter and your restraint in regard to end rhyme dovetail perfectly with the narrative. Reply Margaret Coats January 2, 2023 What a vivacious and energetic way to tell about a weekend at one of those happy retreats where street lights are limited! You take as much care with words as they do with local permits to convey the wondrous effect. I love “looking stellar.” Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Satyananda Sarangi January 1, 2023 New Year greetings! I found this poem full of mystery and mastery. The rhyme scheme was striking and unusual. Thanks for this. Reply
Jeremiah Johnson January 1, 2023 Joseph, I like the steady pull of your meter that doesn’t let up until the last stanza. And I love how in that last stanza you tie your experience to that which mankind has known for thousands of years. What town were you in? Crestone, Colorado, by any chance? Reply
Joe Stuart January 5, 2023 Thanks for your kind comment. We visited Headlands Dark Sky Park outside of Mackinaw City, Michigan at the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula. Reply
C.B. Anderson January 2, 2023 A good poem should say a lot in few words, and this poem epitomizes that ideal. Your easy transitions, Joseph, from the mundane vernacular to the numinous trans-human bespeak a delicate grasp of the principles of logico-temporal fluidity and a firm understanding of the techniques of rhetoric. Your relaxed meter and your restraint in regard to end rhyme dovetail perfectly with the narrative. Reply
Margaret Coats January 2, 2023 What a vivacious and energetic way to tell about a weekend at one of those happy retreats where street lights are limited! You take as much care with words as they do with local permits to convey the wondrous effect. I love “looking stellar.” Reply
