The 'End' of the Sun
A solar eclipse will be happening soon
And I'm taking a train up for ‘dark fall,’
Not often our sun is eclipsed by the moon,
Might it be, my drum’s beating restores light for all?
A primitive fantasy, barter in play,
I would die just to see earth's end sidelined,
Up creek without paddle (if night wins the day,)
But a killer of shadows will not be maligned.
Each person’s a hero who joins in this quest,
Who can say which one’s rhythms touched God’s ear?
You say, “We are safe, the world’s fate is at rest?”
It’s so easy to risk all you’ve ever held dear?
The one thing we know is that the end will come!
Hear our science and saints sing the same rhyme?
When day turned to night were our ancestors dumb?
Now both disciplines warn us “Of fire next time!”
To cherry-pick scriptures just serves prejudice,
Those who deprecate science should take heed,
And not to what pleases, but face cowardice,
For your salvation comes from God’s Grace, not your deed.
Hey, science is God’s gift, to help with life's fight,
Senses discipline, bless too to serve us,
Our leisure and work both need time in the light,
Life’s constraints too, a gift from God; death doesn’t fuss!
Brian Johnston
July 8, 2017
Poet’s Notes:
On August 21, 2017 I will travel with friends to Oregon to witness a solar eclipse. These are rare events and on average it will be 375 years before the people in a particular location on the current path will see another one, which gives you an idea of how rare they are. I am planning to take a home-made open face drum with me to join my ancestors in scaring evil away from the earth and consider it a rare chance to honor their attempts to understand a creation that both provides for life and takes it away at times.
|