the failed astronomer...

& the first time
that her eyes touched mine,
I suddenly felt the
subtle beauty
the sun must feel
when eclipsed by the moon.

I remind stargazers & scientists
long since turned away...

That I am the failed astronomer,
a glimpse of her distant star I caught;
But I was looking through
my telescope the wrong way
& she wasn't as far away as I thought.

Her light & her heat
may take eight minutes to reach me,
but studying her eyes
inner constellations, they teach me;
To put all my trust in intuition,
put all my trust in hope.
To give up on science & superstition
& to throw away my telescope!

Yes, I am the failed astronomer,
a glimpse of her distant star I caught;
But I was looking through
my telescope the wrong way
& she wasn't as far away as I thought.

I close my eyes
& wherever you are;
Your smile continues
to burn inside me,
like a star.

(c) Brent M Harpur, 1999 / 2011.

Princess Leia: "I love you!" Han Solo: "I know." ('The Empire Strikes Back.')