Celestial Visitor

Venus would appear in its first guise as a morning star
Paving the way for the sun to rise a few hours later
And casting a faint shadow in its greatest illuminated extent
A waxing crescent state in the predawn hours
The liminal twilight before sunrise

In modern times, adjustments were needed amidst the man-made glare
To favor eyes unaccustomed to discerning such distant objects
How best to perceive its shape during the fleeting apparition
The advice was to first stare at the receding horizon
To habituate the senses to behold the roving vision
For the eye to truly gather a full glimpse
We had to learn anew how to see the wonders of this world

Still, the ancients would take its journey as an omen
In their urge to understand the paths of nature's higher bodies
A reminder, in its elliptical motion, of the proper order of things
Mankind's gaze recorded that Venus would precede the sun

Thus it was their practice to wake at the crack of dawn
To savor the quality of the light of the early morning sun
And they would make sure that those bearing the very young
Would be shielded in the shadows from the later burning sun

And the word was passed down, the stories were retold across the ages
Grandmothers would explain as they called you in, mine would speak in this way:

Spirits are often contemplated in the dark, messengers of the night
And Venus, in its full grandeur, visits humanity before sunrise

Venus, a playlist

A soundtrack for this note (spotify version)

• Morning Star by Stan Getz
• Venus Rising by Wallace Roney
• Morning Star by Jack DeJohnette's Directions
• Cumbia de Venus by La Sonora Norte
• Morning Star by Sarah Vaughan
• Venus by Lutan Fyah
• Morning Star by Johnny Clarke
• Venus Rising by Barry Osbourn
• Morning Star by The Scientist
• Venus Sunrise by Pranatronic
• Morning Star (Live) by Stan Getz
• Elliptical by Wallace Roney

Bonus beats: Happier than the morning sun by Stevie Wonder

File under: life, myth, culture, observation, perception, astronomy, appreciation, tradition, nature, poetry, toli

Writing log. June 9, 2022