Tag: night

Dark Science

The sun, I’ve found, consistently
Sinks out of sight at night. When we
Retire, say, to go to bed,
The sky is filled with stars instead.
No, really! Try this science test.
(Pro Tip: Late afternoon is best
To set it up.) Go out and find
A place where you can see a kind
Of pinkish-orange glowing place
On one part of the sky. That space
Is roughly where the sun will “set.”
Keep watching there. If you forget
And everything goes dark, don’t worry,
Science happens in a hurry
Even if you’re not observing.
Give your neck a gentle swerving
Left and right. If there’s a spot
Where it’s not fully dark, you’ve got
A helpful clue: That way is west!
The darker part (that’s all the rest)
Is where the twinkly stars appear
(Or moon, at certain times of year).
Don’t look too closely; you’ll get dizzy
And you’ll think the stars are busy
Chasing through the sky all night.
Just close your eyes; you’ll be alright.
It’s time for bed, now, anyway.
You’ve scienced quite a bit today!
We’ll save experimenting how
The sun comes back for later. Now
You scientists should close your eyes
And dream of deep, black, sunless skies.

Alone In A Basement Office During A Power Failure

Power’s out. This much I know
Because my eyeballs tell me so.
My ears insist it’s light and bright;
My eyes, however, think it’s night.
Tiebreak goes to sense of touch,
I guess. Or smell. Taste? Not so much:
Crawling on my hands and knees
To find and lick the fusebox? Please.
Daytime has a different scent,
Though, than what’s left when daylight’s went:
Fewer blossoms, less exhaust,
More emptiness when light is lost.
Can touch distinguish night from day?
The light vibration’s gone away
From my indoor environment,
But that’s a less than helpful hint:
When electricity stops flowing,
All the beasts it feeds stop going.
Two to one (with two abstentions),
Survey says, There’s sun. Intentions?
Easy: I’ll indulge my ears
And sunbathe ’til the light appears.
I’ll tilt my desk chair back and dream,
And save a mint on UV cream!
In darkness, I’m the ideal man,
Superbly coiffed, a healthy tan,
Well-muscled…when the lights are out
(And I’m alone), there’s little doubt
I’m nearest to perfection’s door:
In daylight? Quite a different floor.
Arcing squirrel, thanks for this.
Insensibility is bliss.

Nightstreets

Nightstreets
Cold and lonely
Black and wide
Empty dark and damp with wrung-out cloud
Backyard troubadog rehearses
Loud
As blossoms brave in daylight bow and hide
Let only cats and cobwebs stay outside
In nightstreets
Cold and lonely
Black and wide