Cosmic Lens Poem by Harley White
Cosmic Lens
There’s a smiley face in space
that’s beaming from above
at our mindless human race
on Earth we say we love.
Yet we mortals trash our planet
and with weaponry we man it,
dream up lucrative devotions,
scheme up profiteering notions.
(If it’s good for us, we ban it.)
We pour poisons in the oceans,
putrefy the air we’re breathing,
spew out gases foul that interfere
with shield of ozone wreathing
in the upper atmosphere–
one of the stratospheric layers
necessary for us here–
which greedy corporate players
have been making disappear.
How they vie for prominence,
cry for global dominance,
in their lethal games
with avaricious aims
that strive for power, to possess
more and more and more and more,
all in the name of ‘progress’,
in a doom where we’ll be done for!
Way out in that spatial place,
there we see that ‘happy face’
(anyhow at least ‘so-called’)
with arcs in lensing guise
that across its look are sprawled,
plus galaxies for eyes.
This strong gravitational
Einstein lensing ring
shows a quite sensational
though misleading thing
that has caused this warped spacetime
to evoke my Hubble rhyme
for its kisser countenance
born from massive mountenance
(which is a word that can be seen
in Edmund Spenser’s “Faerie Queene”) .
How will our folk tale end up?
Could that grinning gal or guy
be a parodic send-up,
satirizing us on high?
We’re drowning in excessive stuff
at a fast and frenzied pace…
When will people shout, “Enough! ”?
Man can wreak havoc, in worst case,
with single pull of lever.
Still and all, we think we’re clever…
I’ve a wish, in medias res–
but better late than never:
May human beings life embrace,
before our hopes we sever
to find an earthly state of grace–
in truth, the great endeavor…
So, smile upon us, smiley face!
We need it more than ever!
Astronomers have since found many examples of this phenomenon, known as “gravitational lensing.” More than just a cosmic illusion, gravitational lensing provides astronomers with a way of probing extremely distant galaxies and groups of galaxies in ways that would otherwise be impossible even with the most powerful telescopes.
Inspiration for poem came from Hubble Image and article, “A Smiling Lens” < spacetelescope.org/images/potw1506a/ >
* * * * * * * * *
Credit: ~ NASA & ESA
The message in this poem has been written and discussed over and over again...but never (am I aware) in the context of a smiley face in outer space, Einstein's theory of matter, and of an archaic term borrowed from Spenser's Faerie Queen...all in media res...and using a clever rhyme scheme and organization of stanzas that flow interestingly. :)) I mapped through your rhyming, syllables, stanza lengths and overall poem length and was puzzled and amused. There is a degree of consistency of all of the above with some dissonance thrown in. Well, I'm smiling and you've conveyed your message loud and clear...and I learned something. Thanks and congratulations. I look forward to reading more.
My friend, I wrote you a poem, just a token of my admiration of you
Made a revisit. An apt response to the irresponsible acts of man
Nothin illusionary about this telescopic write. Unfortunately man and womankind seem headed to assured destruction, because of all the reason mentioned above, perhaps already too late. But there is always hope that a cosmic awareness could save us all.
My dear friend, I just directed some of my best friends to your poetry, I hope they will check you out, I told them you are one of a kind...you are by far my favorite poet and that’s saying a lot for I really like many, but you are my intrigue and fascination and I see your humble heart through your genius 😊
I cannot thank you enough for your constant support support and encouragement! You are indeed a true poetic friend and greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
4/13/2024 5:17:00 PM # 1.0.0.1119
Hats off to the Cosmic lens that has depicted the reiteration of self destruction process carries out by human in the name of progress. Congrats for inking such a thought provoking poem as also on it's Poem of the Day.
Thank you very much for your warmhearted, enthusiastic response!