For the past week or so, I’ve appreciated being distracted by Comet Neowise. I was lucky to see our latest celestial visitor with and without binoculars one night last week, but because of the weather, I haven’t been able to spot it since then. Many friends have shared their pictures though, so I feel like I’ve gotten my fair share of sightings. How could I not be inspired to write a poem?
The Comet
A massive ball
(three miles wide!)
of ice and dust
sailing through
the solar system,
pulled by gravity,
warmed by the sun,
is suddenly a
celebrity:
a cosmic exclamation mark,
a reminder to look up,
to be dazzled,
to dream.
© Catherine Flynn, 2020
Please be sure to visit my poetry pal, Margaret Simon, at Reflections on the Teche for the Poetry Friday Roundup.
Reading to the Core 
Beautiful tribute poem to exciting Neowise, love your closing four lines,
“a cosmic exclamation mark,
a reminder to look up,
to be dazzled,
to dream.”
We tried viewing it a few times and caught tiny glimpses of it, thanks Catherine!
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Nice! Have not looked for the comet–glad to have a poem in any case!
Alice
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Like Michelle, I especially love those ending lines with the reminder to look up and wonder. We all need some more dazzle in our lives. What a beautiful tribute to Neowise!
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Another vote of praise for the lines Michelle highlighted!
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“Suddenly a celebrity” — fun internal rhyme, Catherine. I like that photo of our “celestial visitor.” Thanks for turning our eyes upward this week.
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I love “cosmic exclamation point!”
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Catherine, this is gorgeous! And I feel like it’s a sister poem to my aurora poem I shared last Friday: https://laurasalas.com/poems-for-teachers/if-an-aurora-appears-poetry-friday/
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A wonderful reminder to be dazzled and to dream. You shine at nature poems. I think Neowise was looking for you and your pen.
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Splendid, Catherine. I love the internal rhyme and the thought “a cosmic exclamation mark”. That makes a great visual of thought.
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Hello comet-watcher. I’m glad you took that exquisite sky-breath & shared the beauty in your lovely poem. Many appreciations.
Jan
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I did not manage to see the comet, but I’m glad that you did–and that you shared your poem. I love the end, especially–a “cosmic exclamation mark”–and I can definitely use a reminder to be dazzled and to dream!
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