Transit of Venus

The Transit of Venus

The Earth is one

as it sits to look up

into Space.

Heads tilt. A smirk a squint

unites us. We

the earth people

behind filmstrips

behind welding masks

waiting in rain

waiting in vain for a hole

in clouds.

One of us

several orbits old

saw the sun and said

the sun had a mole

on its face.

By quarter to three

most decamped

the high plateau

disheartened to see

the dark mole go.

June 6^th, 2012

  

news.nationalpost.com

The Annular Eclipse P.S.

I

The annular eclipse weighed

in a microwave (730 Watts)

is a little metal disc

with your dog’s name on it.

No, that would blow up —

is Big Dan Teague’s eye-patch

suspended over an egg

cooked sunny side up.

II

The last time the sun yawned

its slow eclipse yawn, right to left,

was many many years ago which

the sun forgot like yesterday.

The last time I saw my son was

at a karate dojo. His neck stretched

right to left, and back, toes splayed out

like a baby bat’s wing.

That was Saturday. This is Monday.

I have a headache. I find it hard

to follow a cursor hopping right to left.

This morning I watched the sun yawn.

I must have watched too long.

My eyes clank like a shut blind.

I can see now a dusty-white kimono

dancing, fading in the sun.

The Annular Eclipse

is just around the corner. It is a sort of eclipse whereby the moon completely blocks out the sun save for the outer ring of light. In Japan it is scheduled for the morning hours of May 21^st, Eastern Time (detailed info with huge maps here). Folks, do make an effort and get off your bums, draw those bedroom curtains and let the sunshine in. The last such event apparently occurred 173 years ago!

Despite the gloomy weather forecast which predicts massive clouds, I am readying myself for the event. As you can gather from fig.1, I procured me the requisite equipment, which consists of a dark plastic (?) eye-patch supposedly designed to protect the retina. This was no mean feat since Japan has been in a grip of eclipse-mania for the past week and goggles, or whatever they are, are exceptionally hard to come by (got mine at a local 7-Eleven of all places).

The contraption has been tested in my kitchen. It has an effect of a blindfold except that once you face a direct source of light – say a 60 watt light bulb – you suddenly notice a tiny shimmery dot in the corner of your eye, like a sole Pole star in the black firmament.

NB: Since the ‘thing’ would not sit on my nose by itself, I had to improvise with a piece of string. Now I am all set for my first eclipse ever – and most likely the last. 

                                                                                  Fig. 1