chasing auroras
it is rare that cosmic scales
paint themselves across
the inky black night.
did you know that occasionally,
the sun throws away a part
of itself?
and the earth, in all
its worshipful obedience,
gathers the light for us,
throws it into storms
with powerful magnetic fields,
streaking the sky with
vibrant pinks, blues,
reds, greens, purples.
rainbows in disarray,
arranged by Picasso.
colours that belong
on modern art pieces.
something about the northern lights
sends a thrill through me,
the idea that i can look up,
at my sky, in my ordinary world,
and suddenly be reminded,
in the middle of darkness,
that the sun is a living, moving star.
i always thought that auroras
would have to be pursued
on boats in faraway lands.
not on foot with hastily worn
slippers that freeze my toes.
not on a normal Thursday.
my eyes search for
intense and unmistakable hues,
all i find are slippery taunts,
the barest hint that might be
all in my head,
because i want so badly
to believe that the aurora
is in my backyard.
and within minutes,
the clouds are back,
as stars twinkle knowingly,
i wonder how many
such people they have seen.
chasing auroras
to feel childlike wonder.
chasing auroras
to escape mundanity.