The arrogance of Earth
to assume we are the ultimate
yet, we may not be the
penultimate
And still we launch that fiery phallus
screaming
screw you, Universe
we will know your secrets!
And the North Star weeps
ignored, a gift from the firmament
to Earth’s lost
and still we are all lost
Yet what a come-on from those stars
winking and blinking
they know we’ll be back soon enough
they’re the stuff we’re made of
We were in that crucible of chaos
from the start
with our kissing cousins
those stars
From the stars we came
to the stars we shall return
the prodigal
back home, in heaven
Until that time, it’s not
the purple-orange of the NASA launch
but the child’s red balloon
that gives us earthly hope.
-0-
Lovely method, delivering a most important message. Just as the microcosm of self we must first learn of our own body (planet) to truly understand anything more. Enjoyed this my friend, send you love! ~ Rose
Such a fast response! And such a lovely one! Yay! Thanks so very much, Rose
)) {{hugs}}
Very nicely done. A real strong message. The child’s balloon at the end is such a great contrast–it brings the reader up short. You create a great irony–yearning for the stars, without really being grounded where we are. I enjoyed this a great deal.
So very glad, Steve, you enjoyed this…Happy the message gets through. Gratitude for your supportive comment!
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Woah! Helluva poem, Jacquie! ‘The fiery phallus’ ~ incredible metaphor that describes man’s aggressive probing into dark spaces … & the beautiful, evocative, soft image of the child holding a thin-stringed red balloon filled with airy hope … yet always susceptible to having it whisked away by a sudden gust of wind. Such a thought-provoking write ~ thank you
Whoa! Peter…! You almost blew me away with the red balloon and that lovely comment! So happy this piece struck you well ! Thank you sooooo much !
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I love this one for the lovely, delightful ending….. Until that time, it’s not/ the purple-orange of the NASA launch/ but the child’s red balloon/ that gives us earthly hope. How very true!! Only a poet’s vision can deliver so simply, so beautifully.
Hello, Jyoti! So glad you connected to this piece
Of course, we are still earthlings, and cling to earthly hopes…our legacy…children with their simple, natural joy is the hope. Thank you so much for the read and comment! 
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So much to love here, Jacquie! Clever, deep. I like that ironic North Star stanza, too, and that literally brilliant red balloon ending. A WOW poem.
Linda, you large pussycat you! So happy you related to this poem. Gives me comfort to know we are all connected in this way; the cosmos and humanity. Thank you so much for the read and lovely comment!
Lady Fumanchu, I absolutely l absolutely love this poem. Not just because it’s perspective exactly merges with my own, but because of the way you manage to balance a contempt for human arrogance with an ultimate respect for the stars and their universe.
You do know how to hit home, M’am.
Well, welcome, poet John! I soooo appreciate those words! I like knowing my message is getting through…thanks so much for the read and encouraging comment!
)
“From the stars we came
to the stars we shall return
the prodigal
back home, in heaven” Wow poet girl..love this you are so creative …
Steve, you know your words and support mean so much to me…So happy you like this piece! Thanks very much
))
Stunning – this is one of your best IMO.
We were in that crucible of chaos
from the start
with our kissing cousins
those stars
Wow, what a wonderful way to express it – wish I had thought of it that way
Wheeeeeeeee! Whew! Coming from you, my friend, my mentor…this comment really thrills me…can’t tell you how much! thank you, thank you!!
dang what a rip ma’am…love the strength and conviction in your voice..a.nd a flourish of a close…so true on that red balloon…you rock!
Yay, Brian! Woot! Woot! hahahahaha! So glad you like this one…what can I say but Y I P P E E!!!
Think it’s the last stanza that does it. It’s wonderfully written, and (I’m assuming) a very nice use of cultural reference. Fits in so well.
And you’ve reminded me of one of my favourite quotes “Be humble for you are made of earth. Be noble for you are made of stars.” ~Serbian Proverb (I’ve also seen the word dung used as well, so there’s that).
Just wizardly work.
You certainly gave this poem alot of thought and attention, and for that I thank you! Much gratitude for the read and lovely comment!
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i like these together, even though they are not in one stanza
screw you, Universe
we will know your secrets!
And the North Star weeps
ignored, a gift from the firmament
sonnet 36
I wondered how you would react to this Tammy…you engineer and poet of space…glad you connected. Thanks so much for the read and comment.
) (I will get to your blog sometime later tonight or tomorrow, for sure)
Lots of nifty turns of phrase in here, and I like the whole concept of being teased by the stars to go all phallic–those rockets are indeed hugely suggestive. Nice trip at the end with the red balloon, too. Enjoyed it much.
Hey Hedge! Thanks so much for the read and fine comment! Glad you liked it! Will get to your entry tomorrow
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ha! The word play is great winking and blinking and kissing cousins. I think it is arrogance if man ever thinks they will unlock everything, but screw the universe ever still..haha
Thanks so much Pat, for the read, and for seeing into the poem. Your thoughts and comments are right on!
This poem captured my heart in the most subtle way until it reached its fiery conclusion:
Until that time it’s not the purple-orange of the Nasa launch,
But the child’s red balloon that gives us earthly hope.
Many decide not to have children today because they are too busy with their careers or too selfish to adopt. It IS the next generation and the sacrifice which raising them brings that bring all delightful hope though. Beautiful poem!
Yes! It is future generations who will be the stewards of this Earth, and we had better take the time, intelligent care, and love to teach children better stewardship of this Earth. Thanks so much for the read and comment!
Beautiful! So rhythmic, as I find most of your pieces. I just love…’north star weeps’ and ‘crucible of chaos’ very nicely done ; )
-Eva
Thanks very much, Eva, for your lovely supportive words… So glad you liked this
)
An expansive, panoramic poem here. Travels across the universe boil down to a child. Excellent!
Love the way you see this cooked down to a child
) Thanks very much!
Jackie…just wow. wrapping the message so artfully inside the language and the craft. I’ll return to this one.
Angie! Yay! Yes, do come back…any time! Thanks very much for the read and lovely comment! Glad you connected to this one
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oh nice..i love the stars kissing cousins…and most of all..the child’s red balloon
that gives us earthly hope…so grounded…so uplifting…so colorful..
Glad you liked this, Claudia. Thanks much for read an comment!
Like the ending..looking up but traveling aimlessly like the red balloon let loose in Paris. But the twinkling stars distract the “whos” here on planet whoville – still buying into the concept old as Rome that the universe MUST rotate around us. Regardless of the images from hubble, we play on the small planet on the left side of nowhere. Loved the way you crafted this, Jackie.
Thanks for the read, the comment, and for getting the message, Gay! Your words certainly encourage!
Oh, this rocks. I have to admit that I loved the space program. I’ve always loved the sky and as an amateur astronomer, seeing those little bits always drew me closer. But I also see and agree with your points. Love the strength here and the red balloon. We may not have the space program but we still have imagination. Well done.
Hi Beth! O, I too am interested in space exploration…but let’s have it for the right reasons…not to be the first to conquor space, but to explore, to understand, and even perhaps to live with other beings, with respect and care. Thanks much for the read and comments!
What a joy it is tonread such commonsense! We must be aware of our humanity and its source. Not only does it give us humility, it gives us the ability to see our place in the cosmos. I have always wondered about the need to fly to the stars, when we do indeed contain the material of stars in our souls, as you remind us so wonderfully in your poem.
Thanks so much, Chaz, for the read and your wonderful comment…I do believe in the exploration of space…but yes, with humility and respect for our place in the universe. Right on!
It is man’s endless quest for supremacy, not a genuine interest in knowledge and intergalactic collaboration, that drives the phallus skyward, Fu. His command of the immediate space around earth is his only true quest; it’s hold on communications and his ability to spy on his neighbours is all he seeks! His arrogance overlooks the fact he may not be even the penultimate, let alone the ultimate. Oh woe is he!
I love the tone and text of this poem, Fu. It is inspired and inspiring.
It’s all that, John, and man’s need to be first…ergo…that race with the Russians, etc. our competitive urge…and that need to vanquish. I so agree with all you say…it saddens me that we never learn. Seems to be stamped into our DNA. Thanks so much, J, for your read and comments!
Always a pleasure to read your poetry, Fu, when I get a moment to give it time.
…and you are always welcome here, John. I value your words..you don’t have to agree.with concept or form..but that’s perfectly fine…still love hearing from you.
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Mwuah! x
hahahahahaha! John…this one really got to you! So glad! Mwah!
Wow, Jackie, Jackie. I liked this a grrrreat deal.
Especially, “we will know your secrets!” And “what a come-on from those stars”…
So glad you connected to this one, Monty. Thanks so much for the read and lovely comment
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This is a stunning poem, Jackie, as brilliant as the stars that shine. But it is because of our audacity and our arrogance that we know that we are made of stars. And hope is a balloon filled with air after all, but there is something beautiful about a child, still innocent and curious, playing with that fantasy. From our position brought on by our curious drive and our loss of innocence, we can see ourselves, fragile, and that is where the beauty is … in the strength of it, that is the rock we stand on, on Earth.
That comment, Q, is poetry itself
) You got it, entirely! Thanks very much for the read and your beautiful comment!