Stella Cadente

This poem about the birth of my daughter was published by Selcouth Station in August 2021.

Laced in the heavens,

     the constellation Lyra,

Falling Eagle shines

     visible to our naked eyes,

its eponym Orpheus –

     musician, poet, prophet.

Placed over Earth in

     midnight summers

of northern hemisphere –

     centuries from now,

it will shine once more

     as our guiding North Star.

Faced with my future wife

     for the first time

at the birthplace

     of the poet Sappho –

her words written for the lyre   

     sung with love for womenkind.

Traced across the sky,

     the Perseid meteor shower,

our hopes lit by shooting stars,

     the tears of San Lorenzo –

patron saint of cooks,

     comedians and librarians.

Embraced on the beach,

     then – looking at the stars,

dared not foretell our future,

     now – our own stella cadente

has fallen into our arms,

     and we have named her Lyra.