Halley by David M. Harris - Your Daily Poem

Halley
by
David M. Harris

Stuck in the skyless city with the comet inbound,

my only chance slipping between the planets

and behind the sun. I made the point to say goodbye.

Needing a horizon, I drove in the dark

out of the little valley of my house

onto the hump of a small Catskill,

took the telescope up the hill and set it on

the tripod, carefully found

my angle and aimed and --

scattered gas and dust by the next visit --

spotted a little smear in the sky. I'm pretty

Until 2003, David M. Harris had never lived more than fifty miles from New York City. Since then he has moved to Tennessee, married, acquired a daughter and a classic MG, and gotten serious about poetry. All these projects seem to be working out pretty well. His work has appeared in Pirene's Fountain (and in the Best of Pirene's Fountain anthology), Gargoyle, The Labletter, The Pedestal, and other places. His first collection of poetry, The Review Mirror, was published by Unsolicited Press in September, 2013.

twinkscat:
Enjoyed this. Thanks for sharing. I guess I'll never see Halley's Comet :(
Posted 01/26/2014 01:55 PM

Ginny C.:
For a wonderful poem about Halley's Comet by Stanley Kunitz, visit this page: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/236768
Posted 01/26/2014 11:42 AM

paradea:
A new #1 fan of the man in Tennessee!!
Posted 01/26/2014 08:10 AM

Ross Kightly:
I know that feeling of being sure an astronomically important sighting HAS been made... that just HAD TO BE it... oh yes! I think anyone who writes a poem as good as this one might also be allowed a Classic MG! Yes, I'm certain of it!
Posted 01/26/2014 07:01 AM

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