a-gaze-ment

little girl, you gaze at stars
and think of love and bliss and night
and feel the ancient birthpangs--
Andromeda
Antigone
Herbert’s “Prayer”
and Donne’s “Valediction”
verse that first
was turned and spun from starry nights

tonight is quite articulate,
and tells you quite enough
the atmosphere tells time
and on the greek horizon,
Aristotle speaks
of astral fixity:
“twinkle is but eye strain.”

little girl, look up, cause that’s just what you do
wasted groundly gazes
grant us little grace
so simply know
as you do go
such glances rest beneath the sanctuary
of the ages’ truest muse