Food For Thought

Presented by Jim King

Produced By The Fertile and Talented Mind of Juliane McAdam, IDA Contributor

A   P o e m  :  H o n o r   t h e   N I g h t

It is said that in the time of Galileo, the Milky way shone brightly

Enough to cast a shadow.

Now, who can even see the broad band of our galaxy in the night sky?

We hide it with bright city lights, go inside our houses and flip switches.

We no longer honor the night sky.

Ancient cultures measured time in the moon’s phases,

The days of each cycle counted out; they knew when the moon would wax and wane.

But who today is aware whether the moon is crescent, full, or gibbous?

We no longer honor the night sky.  The ancients saw pictures in the night sky,

Each culture telling the stories of its creation, its heroes and its gods, in the stars.

Who today can see these celestial forms or knows their stories?

We no longer honor the night sky.

On a retreat with preteen students, far enough from city lights to see the cosmos,

On a night when bright Venus casts a shadow, we asked them to turn off their flashlights,

Let their eyes adjust, trust their steps to the starlight.

We honored the night sky.