Speed Of Light

Timely Observations

The stars we wish upon are millions of years old.
Countless supernova, ashen black, still twinkle
in the anthracite sky. In this instance,
time is a measure of distance.
Even at the speed of light,
it takes longer than our planet has existed
for this star to catch our eye.

One must take time to slow it,
to intensely observe each nanosecond,
every change of starlight and shadow,
weather and wind, to be as present
as one can possibly be.

The woods, slowly, over its long season of losing leaves,
drew in its enormous collective breath to hold
frozen in the heartwood all winter long.
In the time it takes for the snow-coated trees
to touch our retina with the bright reflected blindness,
countless stars have fallen into eternity.