If we act wisely and treat Earth with respect,
our planet can give us all we need,
and may hold the answers to most of our questions,
but surrounded by the beauty of nature,
astronomers look beyond it all,
scanning the skies with gigantic radio telescopes.
Many years later,
whether anything has been learned or not,
those dishes will still be standing proudly in the desert
as monuments to man’s insatiable curiosity.
And the purpose of his research?
It is as nebulous as the probable results:
A dishful of cloud.
—
© Gerry Busch, 2011 (poem and photos)