Star Gazing © 2008 Colin Whyles

Past time was I would watch the stars
Holding their solitary courts
Fending away planets
Sucking in debris
Spewing out brimston
Stationary and aloof

Maintaining their zodiac patterns
To guide the travelling mariner
To inform the soothsayer
To advise the wary
The uncertain
The broken hearted
The weary
To impart wisdom to the confused
The inquisitive

Now I watch the stars gathering
And rising in bipolar pairs
Upwards into the sky
Flashing a warning to the foolhardy
To descend in turn slowly in a single helix
Of binary lights

Circling like vultures steadily
Outstaring their prey
Willing them into defeat
Until finally breaking free
Shooting straight to their target
Their goal
Their destiny

Chased at regular periods
By more of their kind
An endless stream
Each taking their turn
To skid grindingly to a halt
With a bump and a roar
To disgorge their loads
To lighten their bellies
To refill
To race for the skies again

"Would passengers for Lanzarote please go to gate 16 immediately"