National Poetry Month Day 3: Adam McGovern

By

Perseid meteors, 2015

I went to dig for falling stars

alone in a shadowed field

I sifted the dappled dome of air

for the cascade promised once in a lifetime

I saw only the stillness in-between

but realized how sleepless the night is —

blinking satellites, tower beacons,

endless threading airplane flash

and glimmering, impatient faroff worlds.

I did see one, maybe it was part of the shower

maybe it was falling anyway

slashed majestically across the arc of sky

in one brushstroke burning itself out

I could see why they once thought

this was Mercury, setting emptiness on fire

as he trailed away taking what he had to tell

Mercury, the messenger

Why do we think we ask the stars for things?

–Adam McGovern

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Adam McGovern is a Contributing Editor at HiLobrow.com, and reads poetry at fringe-culture salons throughout the New York area.

Original poetry published by The Rumpus. More from this author →