Peering Into The Heavens

Winter Stars

by Sara Teasdale

I went out at night alone;

The young blood flowing beyond the sea

Seemed to have drenched my spirit’s wings—

I bore my sorrow heavily.

But when I lifted up my head

From shadows shaken on the snow,

I saw Orion in the east

Burn steadily as long ago.

From windows in my father’s house,

Dreaming my dreams on winter nights,

I watched Orion as a girl

Above another city’s lights.

Years go, dreams go, and youth goes too,

The world’s heart breaks beneath its wars,

All things are changed, save in the east

The faithful beauty of the stars.

In recent years Linda and I have been spending more time looking up at night. 

Poets see it as "the heavens". Most the rest of us prosaically call it "the sky".

In my house we are working at being more cognizant of what is happening in the larger picture, so we have been closely watch the sun, moon, planets and stars. 

They have changed the way we think about things on our little blue/green globe that hangs in one of the spiral arms of the Milky Way Galaxy.

Our house is at the top of a ridge, surrounded by old potato fields. We have a 360 degree unobstructed view of the light show when clear sky prevail.

We are in a rural area close to a designated Dark Sky Preserve, so not much for light pollution out here. 

We see the Milky Way like we have never seen it before, and it is breathtaking.

We can also see a lot from inside our home through our many windows. Our favourite is being able to track the heavens from the comfort of bed.

Infinite space, infinite beauty.

It all makes perfect sense. 

Unlike the affairs of humans. 

An awareness of the objects in the firmament puts our petty lives into perspective. 

Peer into it on a gorgeous night, and let it change your outlook on life. 

It has certainly changed ours.

Fun Firmament Fact: Today, February 11th is the year's latest solar noon.