Years After

Walking without a sound,
I saw the ancient sea
Under handfuls of stars.
Thirty-five glittering hearts
Leaving scattering light
Upon Cumberland’s open fields
Of small green leaves from oaks
That face the dome of our earth.

I looked up with astronomer’s eyes
Into the great distance far away.
No one saw the instant flash
As our own sun exploded
And vanished from its spot
On the other side of the galaxy.

Today women watched from glaciers,
Holding loved ones with old hands.
The chickens fell silent
Among cornfields many times their size.
Everyone slid from their chairs and stood
Waiting only to tell stories years after.