Celestial Navigation
Even dung beetles
know the stars,
how they shape
destination.
Motion ceases with arrival.
This body attracting
that. The heart
losing itself
to the moon’s
pull, another wave
falling.
Does light descend
or rise?
Subtle yet observant.
Like truth, like
destiny shivering
through the coldest hour,
saying Welcome, welcome!
“Celestial Navigation” was first published in Nine Muses Poetry in July 2019.
Great!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Thanks!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I love this piece!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks very much!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like the idea of destiny shivering a welcome as long as it’s a destiny I want….otherwise the shiver is no longer associated with anticipation, but with dread.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lots of thought, lots of feeling π
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Gary. There’s nothing quite like dung beetle inspiration!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I remember once Henry Fielding was poking fun at the tendency of his age (1740s) to judge people by lineage, and he introduced his (humble) main character with something to the effect of his lineage was nowhere to be found in writing, so he could be derived from a queen, a butler, a tryst between a queen and a butler, or he may have sprung up spontaneously from a dunghill, as the Athenians once claimed of themselves. Anyway, it was a great passage, delivered with impeccable style, as always in Fielding π
LikeLiked by 1 person
I must read some Fielding!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I recommend “Joseph Andrews.” “Tom Jones” is his most famous, but that passage is from “Joseph Andrews,” which is much shorter than “Tom Jones,” less reliant on historical detail, and has all the humor and style of Fielding π
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve dipped into Tom Jones, but can’t say that I’ve actually read it. I should pick up a copy of Joseph Andrews.
LikeLiked by 1 person