Gas giant WASP 76b

.

Today’s prompt encourages us to write a poem based on a news article. I chose one of the suggested articles: “Researchers Discover Faraway Planet Where the Rain is Made of Iron.” Despite the stark beauty of gas giant WASP 76b and its fascinating molten-iron rain, the resulting poem is a small token of gratitude for this planet we live on.

*Update: So grateful and excited to be the featured participant of Day 8 on NaPoWriMo. Thank you to Maureen Thorson for the honor!

Poetry from the trenches, Day 7

.

How lucky we are
not to be
tidally locked to our star.
How lucky to have
a sunrise, a sunset.
Whatever grief
we carry from morning till night,
how lucky we are
that the moon
will hold it for us while we sleep.
How lucky to have
sturdy ground under our feet
& not a scorching abyss
that sucks us in, spits us out
as vapor. How lucky
that no 11,000 mph winds
will sweep us off into space.
The rain that falls
on our heads–how lucky we are
it’s still water & not
molten iron.
How lucky we are we can breathe.
Yes. How lucky we are
we can breathe.

.