Ray

Coiled in the heart of heat and flame
I flung myself out this morning
full fierce and raw and joyous
into uncharted infinity.

Your astronomers will tell you my journey lasted only
eight minutes and twenty seconds
but for me it was nothing less than a lifetime: days
and months and years
and endless permutations and paths not taken.

Your sages will tell you Krishna stretched his jaws
and revealed the universe in his open mouth
but after all this time I have yet to see
god’s teeth reflecting myself back to me.

I remember the curved face of a planet
her features robed in coy mist.
So achingly
lovely out there on her own, she looked
bathed in the mysteries of space;
I saw Venus and I wavered
but thought of you, and did not stop for her.

Gravity sent meteors rushing across my path
that nearly derailed me
nearly cut my life in half
but no shadow was cast and I hauled onward
burning through the blackness
at the speed of love itself.