He floated about the room, with that wry smile, 

Projecting quiet wisdom - Unnoticed.

Seemingly knowing what the others did not. 

But these party goers are carefree and blind.

They spend their lives in suppressed desperation, 

With a myriad variety of insignificant distractions.

The world is burning to the west. Is dry and thirsty. 

The coasts sink slowly under advancing shorelines.

Rule by Autocracy arises like a reanimated zombie.

All the chaos is happening over there, not here. 

They dismiss and ask themselves - Why me worry?

His easy movements were like touch and go landings,

Feet never landing firmly on the floor, gliding 

Effortlessly to the balcony for nighttime observation,

Seeking solitude amongst the beckoning starlight. 

Peering northward was the Andromeda Constellation.

And there amongst the glimmering stars,

Floated a dim smudge of light - our sister galaxy M31, 

Pulling with gravitational force on our own galaxy for the 

Great Merge of starry night wonder in 4.5 billion years.

During character maturation, two force streams

Pulled imperceptibly on the night sky observer:

One, the dominate customs of man,

One, the natural laws of the universe.

Random acts upon him had molded his outlook,

Almost breaking him.

But he had the courage to RESIST and say NO.

NO to the drunken loved ones wrestling downstairs.

NO to his first friendship clique pushing him to conform.

NO to a land destined for severe wildfires and drought.

NO to the bosses wanting to exploit his services.

NO to doctors who violate their hippocratic oath.

NO to deceitful takers ungrateful for devout caregiving.

Now, he had understood these powerful forces,

Feeling liberated and unbounded to conventions,

Confident to step aside from the 

Dominating force field stream of mankind.

To hover suspended, above it all.

To become someone to be trusted with 

Writing the Truth, to shine the Light,

Pulling others to see the way of living with 

Vision, Dignity, Integrity, and Courage.

~ May You Forever Float in the Stream of Eternity ~

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

D W Orr
Environmentalist, Weimaraner/Dachshund Companion, Photographer, and Poet-Provocateur
Harford County, Maryland,
Here, where it all began, 256 years ago, in the USA

September 21, 2025

************ In Memory of Dr. Donald A. Orr, Sept. 1941 - Sept. 1997 ************
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Andromeda GalaxyAndromeda Galaxy. This photo took over 20 hours of exposure. Credit: Dustin Gibson
 The Andromeda Galaxy