he shelved astronomy

grand and bold that was stardust
fallen from sky warped passages
not like us at all
a companion to the cosmos
verses sung for no one
you listening to the planets tonite
veils of northern lights
desolate meadows padded with snow
the silence the man
carrying the fire
trained the rocket boys
failure is not an option to become
lost the lost moon
remember when packing for mars
bring hope and the right stuff
the view here from the center of
the universe is a grand and bold thing
but the sky lost the moon
carrying the fire to study
the backyard astronomers
guide to stardust
falling to, falling on
already arrived the soul
recites its cosmic verses
and we pretend to know
how old the universe is
who knows the man
carrying fire on the moon
thumbs through his pluto
files of failure
do not leave unprepared
like those rocket men
who lost the moon,
seduced they say by northern
lights and nights
nothing is as nothing was
you you you
snaked & naked
warped by passages that
contained you too long
deaf since the big bang
you are the soul of the
night and that was
and remains your only
companion