Comet Hale-Bopp 1997 © 2008 Beryl Dyson

Bright comet of tremendous length,
You race towards the sun,
Mixed gasses give you massive strength,
We see your glowing run.

Two thousand years past, more or less,
You came into earth’s view,
Then history shows of earthly stress,
And blamed it all on you.

Again pulled back by unknown force,
No disaster crash to earth,
You return to somewhere in cloud Oort
Your origin of birth.

What pressures have you brought to bear
In any, on earth’s crust,
Are you an omen some declare
To end all life with dust?

Or have you brought new elements
For fuel or medication,
New factors all with good intent,
To extend our world’s creation?

The questions, Hale-Bopp, you’ve left behind,
As time and tide advances,
I believe all living things will find
Our Creator knows the answers.