Orion

hanging over the neighbour’s roof
Orion
winter’s a-comin then
his glittering belt of nebulae
solid proof
of magic

as I gawp
and try to remember
the old names
I twiddle my beard
other hand on hip
and wonder
if some far distant ancestor
had ever done
this exact same thing

just before an Autumn dawn
not sleeping
his dog
having a pee

there!
Menkalinan
Aldebaran
Bellatrix
and just behind the tree
wow!
Rigel!
all a-glitter

maybe too low
to see Sirius
one of the hunter’s dogs
only a bazillion miles
the other side
of the shed

the unthinkable reaches
of aeons
of light years
the immeasurable heaven
of Laniakea
all that space
all that time
apparently
the same thing

what a trick!

my tea
will have brewed by now
me and the dog
go back in
he’s a pain
but I can’t help but love him
lil’ Bernie boo
here at the centre
of the cosmos