AN ASSORTMENT OF SKY THINGS

The Whirlpool Galaxy spins

Its mighty wheel, and grabs

A companion in tow.

The luminous Cat’s Eye Nebula

Is on its deathbed, but

Still proudly wears a halo.

The Andromeda Galaxy is

A picture of calm, before

The maelstrom of a grand collision.

Ravaged by sun rays and the winds

Of newborn stars, the Eagle Nebula’s

Lofty Pillars are eroding.

The Tarantula Nebula spawns

Countless stars, renewing life

In the Universe.

--
First published in An Assortment of Sky Things, October 2016