poor muse

I cannot find my muse today. I think I left her in the car. She's been laughing at me lately, and not bringing anything new to me. What to do with her, I wonder? So instead, I post this because it brings me joy.

Andromeda

Recently NASA posted this image of the Andromeda galaxy, which has twice the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy. The Milky Way contains more solar systems like ours than I can honestly wrap my pitiful little mind around. And within these solar systems are planets that are to us, more immense than anything we can comprehend. Andromeda, named for a princess in Greek mythology was chained to a rock to be eaten by the cracken (a sea monster) as punishment for her mother, Cassiopia's bragging about her beauty. If you are familiar with Greek mythology you know that she was later rescued by Perseus... or if you are like me and love "Clash of the Titans" (the original version, with all its cheesy special effects and not the new 300 style version which I plan on boycotting) then you also are familiar with this tale.


The Andromeda galaxy is our closest large galaxy neighbor at only a mere 2.5 million light years from our sun. How many solar systems does the Andromeda galaxy have, I wonder? Again, way too many for me to wrap my pitiful mind around. Our earth is big enough as it is, but then when I try to comprehend how vast and large the universe actually is, my mind travels in circles and I feel overwhelmed just trying to understand it. I gaze up into the cloudy sky and know that beyond those clouds today lies our atmosphere and beyond that billions and trillions and possibly an infinite amount of stars and galaxies, planets, solar systems, black holes, worm holes, dark matter, quasars, and a plethora of other things that I may try to understand but probably never will in my life time.

It is just so awe inspiring to me to realize how tiny we really are. It is so awe inspiring to see how beautiful the Andromeda galaxy really is. I'd like to visit it and see if maybe there is a planet with little pink puff balls running around or some other odd creatures seen only in our science fiction movies.

naiads make me happy

Clint Eastwood

You travel alone from town to town
Weathered face and skin so brown
But you aren't ever looking down
You're eyes are wandering all around.

A small dog is your only friend
This tiny critter follows you til the end
And tenderly you will always tend
To this puppy usually seen with women.

A family you have left behind
Perhaps at one time you weren't so kind
Outcast you have become until you find
A little work and some peace of mind.

Suddenly a connection by chance
A stranger comes to you by happenstance
In need of help, to you she's helpless
A daughter stranded on this day of romance.

On Valentine's day you are alone
But helping her you think you might atone
For whatever deed that caused you to roam
So far away from your original home.

She graciously accepts your aid
And the payment to you is her smiling face
For kindness these days is without a trace
But your heart is full and will never fade.

Like a cowboy you roam, your life a mess
Like a cowboy you save the damsel in distress
And my prayers are with you as you're headed out west
And as I think of you, I wish you nothing but the best.

Thanks, Clint.

Sleeping time

Dawn creeps in too slowly
Like she's been out all night
And has been trying to keep quiet
The fact she has not been by your side.

The air is much too dark
Much too damp, hidden from the sun
Yet even now morning has begun
To show its softer side.

Some early birds emerge
To catch the first day's worm
Yet here I am with burns
On my fingertips.

If I had been more careful
I'd still be in my bed
Soft pillows beneath my head
A cat on my stomach.

But the house is much too quiet
Much too still for me this day
If one could even say
That it's not still sleeping time.