Contributor Posts

A plethora
of return labels,
with my name and address,
is crowding the space
at workstation and desk.
Send the labels; a nice touch
but fewer people use the mail
and your gift is too much.
If you want more money,
please say you do.
Quit sending the labels
which we seldom use.

Meet me tonight,
in the shade of the tree.
I'll bring the wine,
you bring just thee.

Do you know me?
I once was your son.
You told me to leave,
darken not your door.
Where you once lived
is "Off Limits" to you.
Did you not see,
you are not wanted here.
Just leave this place.
Leave it alone.
Don't bother to write.
All these harsh words,
were never said to me,
as my family's love,
is still strong to say,
"Do the best you can
to overcome your poverty.

Dawn creeps in,
dark turns to grey.
Sunlight joins in,
what else can I say?
You are the Dawn,
I'll always be
here to love you,
until the darkness,
outside our door,
goes far away,
and it's sunny once more.

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Sweeping through northern predawn skies, on November 24 Comet Leonard (C/2021 A1) was caught between two galaxies in this composite telescopic image. Sporting a greenish coma the comet's dusty tail seems to harpoon the heart of NGC 4631 (top) also known as the Whale Galaxy. Of course NGC 4631 and NGC 4656 (bottom, aka the Hockey Stick) are background galaxies some 25 million light-years away. On that date the comet was about 6 light-minutes from our fair planet. Its closest approach to Earth (and even closer approach to Venus) still to come, Comet Leonard will grow brighter in December. Already a good object for binoculars and small telescopes, this comet will likely not return to the inner Solar System. Its perihelion, or closest approach to the Sun, will be on January 3, 2022.

Photo by Gregg Ruppel

I'm writing words,
I no longer love
and no longer trust.
I must start over,
before they're dust.

The loneliest road,
the one you are on,
with words of sorrow,
could soon be a song.
Don't take my word,
look far beyond,
for Country Music,
will soon be sing along.

Blowing wind through wired fence,
harmonics of metal strings,
humming out a lonely sound.
Rattling of wooden slats,
blending into string noise.
Is it a melody I hear,
as wind bursts forth,
shaking branch and leaf?

NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day:

Grand spiral galaxies often seem to get all the glory, flaunting their young, bright, blue star clusters in beautiful, symmetric spiral arms. But small galaxies form stars too, like nearby NGC 6822, also known as Barnard's Galaxy. Beyond the rich starfields in the constellation Sagittarius, NGC 6822 is a mere 1.5 million light-years away, a member of our Local Group of galaxies. A dwarf irregular galaxy similar to the Small Magellanic Cloud, NGC 6822 is about 7,000 light-years across. Brighter foreground stars in our Milky Way have a spiky appearance. Behind them, Barnard's Galaxy is seen to be filled with young blue stars and mottled with the telltale pinkish hydrogen glow of star forming regions in this deep color composite image.

Photo by Dietmar Hager

My song is short.
Your hair is long,
as eyes of brown,
look back at me.
Were we friends,
from long ago,
or kindred souls,
who I love so?

The words I see.
The words I write,
spill from my head,
in the pre-dawn light.

Are these words of joy,
or another mood?
Will they be clear
or just misunderstood?

I'll try hard once more,
to write the words,
as I did, long before,
not to be as absurd.