In a lava lamp, I first saw the truth –– my soul will never be satisfied,
will always hunt for knowledge, will die of hunger for awe.
Why are the stars like cosmic dust splattered on Devil’s nightgown?
Scratching star constellations on the classroom desk with my feisty claw,
eyes would rocket up those cirrus clouds suspended above our urban solace.
Clenched in the jaws of narrow bookshelves, I mothered my hunger for awe.
It’s 2024. I make paper planes now for a living and
wear a white cosmic dust coat to protect me against the ills of time.
Then, somewhere between the lava dream and three light seconds from here,
I find myself hurtling through the atmosphere. I see light like no other can see.
In your distance, I feel closer, in your presence I’m in awe.
For up here, time is nothing without space, my life is nothing without you.
I flourished in your heavenly soft blue.
Now, cradled by darkness, you’re just a marble spinning through.
will always hunt for knowledge, will die of hunger for awe.
Why are the stars like cosmic dust splattered on Devil’s nightgown?
Scratching star constellations on the classroom desk with my feisty claw,
eyes would rocket up those cirrus clouds suspended above our urban solace.
Clenched in the jaws of narrow bookshelves, I mothered my hunger for awe.
It’s 2024. I make paper planes now for a living and
wear a white cosmic dust coat to protect me against the ills of time.
Then, somewhere between the lava dream and three light seconds from here,
I find myself hurtling through the atmosphere. I see light like no other can see.
In your distance, I feel closer, in your presence I’m in awe.
For up here, time is nothing without space, my life is nothing without you.
I flourished in your heavenly soft blue.
Now, cradled by darkness, you’re just a marble spinning through.
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About the poem:
"Hunger for Awe" is a poem about a young woman who follows her insatiable passion for knowledge and space exploration to become an astronautical engineer. The poem ends with a reference to The Overview Effect, a powerful cognitive shift in awareness astronauts experience while viewing the Earth from outer space, altering their perception of themselves, the future and life on Earth. Image: The Blue Marble is a famous photograph of the Earth taken on December 7, 1972, by the crew of the Apollo 17 spacecraft en route to the Moon at a distance of about 29,000 km (18,000 mi). It shows Africa, Antarctica, and the Arabian Peninsula. |
The poem received First Prize in "Love This" impersonal love poetry contest, edited by Gracen Croft and illustrated by Jenna Croftcheck
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