I have stood out on a dark night with no cloud to hide the sky.
And allowed my pupil to focus to become a night time eye.

I have marvelled at the bands of pearl all strung upon the air.
And gazed upon the awesome beauty of the magic awaiting there.

Wisps of faintest cloud stretched through the sparks of light.
Shine like opalescent jewels against the blackness of the night.

Dark filaments and veils against the brighter bands.
That in minds eye give the illusion of fingers sifting sands.

On such nights I have raised a scope to see what I could see.
And have been astounded by the wonders uncovered there to me.

Stars so very distant and of every fiery shade and hue.
Some seem of yellow gold and some of the most crystal blue.

I have looked upon the clouds of gas remnant stars no longer there.
And seen the lustrous beauty of how stars die painted in the air.

Silhouettes of dark clouds that hide where new light is born .
Against backdrop much brighter seemingly blown apart and torn.

Lens turned to the blackness where my eye could see no sights.
Magnifying an endless field so distant of heavens burning lights.

Endless is the wonder and vast and timeless is the scale.
Out upon the universe where only light has time and speed to sail.

i fall into you
as if i am a star
being thrown into
a new constellation
and you are my astronomer
telescope in hand
longing to get lost
in the worlds that fill my skies

the day you appeared
was like nothing else
i mean you’d been there before
we just couldn’t see you.

we called you v161 mon.
for that, i apologize
it wasn’t my choice.

we raised you
the best we knew how,
but you still swallowed
anything that got close

now i’m old
and dying
and you’ll live on
for years.

hundreds,
thousands,
millions,
billions of years

and eventually fade
but even your
death will
take centuries.

the eyes of the city stare back
while i stargaze at them—
yellow, orange, and white scattered around.
they only flicker at my eyes' blink.
and the gaze of the city pierces my heart.
right past the wispy fog of its cold embrace,
right past the silent cries of the eerie night,
right past the waning hopes for a better tomorrow.

the city's mountainous terrain is swathed
with haze, as always—a night
suchlike an endless table
where a giant card is lain.
not five of clovers, nor an ace of spades,
not even a King of hearts.
but a thousand diamonds!
one removed from the standard deck,
stashed with the box and the jokers,
where ironically there is no laughter
but judgment.

i stood there from nightfall to daybreak,
trying to read my future,
hoping to find you in it.