The distant stars are emerging
From the shadow of our closest one.
They are nearer, though, than those
That so fascinated us.

Figures crumbled into their component
Digits as they spilled over the sides
Of our comprehensions; orders of magnitude
To baffle our imaginations and
Remind me how insignificant
Was the space between us.

Distance in feet, distance in years;
I felt gravity across both as
We grew closer and the gulfs of space
Made less and less sense with each
Second they were in contention.

Even though we arrived by
Different routes, I believe I have
Been where you are now. You have
Made the same third distance as I did
Between you and the rest of the
Universe, that cold and incomprehensible
Wilderness in which you find yourself.

Eventually I flew so far I forgot
How to return, but you are still
Within reach, though your back is
Turned as you plunge headlong into
The welcoming unknown.

Occasionally my words found you
And raised a decaying smile, and
I wondered if you saw in me what
I see in you and recognised a heart
That died but reignited like a star,
Only without the unimaginable numbers.

And all too soon we returned to our
Small part of infinity, to the small towns
And small minds of misery. I hope you
Remember just how huge infinity is,
And how, no matter how lost you are,
Someone will always want to find you.

06/04/2007

Posted on 06/17/2007
Copyright © 2024 Richard Vince