Thank you, readers, subscribers, and thank you, inspiring Substackers! This poem, posted April 9, represents a turning point for this newsletter because one of my favourite people on Substack, Patti Smith, wrote, “this is a good poem.” Her subsequent recommendation of man of aran has helped build my readership tremendously. Perhaps you are one such reader. Much gratitude to her!
alan girling
the celestial globe
“inspiration from God” -Adriaan Metius in Institutiones Astronomicae Geographicae, 1621 (the book the astronomer has open)
the astronomer traces
the star shapes
of the sky in shadow
while the window sun
performs day light
to second the magic act
that begins each dawn
he ponders the text
then reaches for the globe
perhaps like God
to turn in real time
real reverence
the empyrean
or to imagine
he’s touching a Miracle
the better to remember
to look up whenever
he goes to open the window
or steps out the door
Thank you!
Go you, Patti Smith likes your poem, how cool is that! I like it too!
Agreed. She was right.