In darkness of glowering mountains
We huddled close, searching;
And on cue, through a peep
In the side of an eight-inch pipe,
I looked, focused up and out,
And there I saw it--
No longer a spot of distant brightness,
No longer a mysterious wanderer
In the summer sky, no longer
An ancient fallen, petty deity;
But a celestial orb surrounded
By glimmering, tinted rings—

And my tears welled up, my throat
Tightened, my pulse increased,
For this was not a mere paper picture,
No longer an image of earthly words;
I knew with all my heart, I was
Gazing upon the very face of God.

12/09/2016

Author's Note: On first seeing Saturn through a telescope.

Posted on 12/10/2016
Copyright © 2025 Leonard M Hawkes