Ad Astra Poem by Liilia Talts Morrison

They can't be seen by light of day
But dark of night brings all to play
The constellations, friends of old
That guided ships and sailors bold.

Their names were always glorious
Resembling gods and animals
From fabled stories gently told
Around the campfire by the old.

Today we scan the ends of space
With telescopes that often trace
A tiny dwarf or dying star
The ancients only guessed was far.

We find new names for galaxies
Atom for Peace is one of these
Black Eye, the Lindsay-Shapely Ring
The Phoenix Dwarf on stellar wing.

It's true, our scientific plots
Have pegged them all in numbered slots
Where sprawling Spider of old lore
Is now D D O Eighty-Four.

Though Zwicky's Triplet marks the end
Of names we into space now send
Our words and language will run out
Overawed by universal clout.

Let's now enjoy those names of old
Orion's hunt and Virgo's gold
Let's celebrate astronomers
Who gave us Hubble's glorious spheres.

But don't forget where it all starts
A throbbing, feeling human heart
Don't tell me He who made it all
Won't cry when even stars will fall.